The Whole Nine Yards
by Courteney
Summary: **COMPLETED** Sequel to You Are Everything I Never Knew I Always Wanted SLASH DM+HP It is five years since Harry, Draco and Co graduated. Where are they now?
1. Five Years After Graduation

~ Ancient Runes Classroom ~

"Uh, Professor Potter?"

"Yes?" Draco smiled kindly down at the timid third year Gryffindor student.

"Is it true?  Are you and, uh, the other Professor Potter…"

"Married?" Draco asked with a grin as some of the students gasped.  "Yes, it's true.  Now back to work.  I assume you all have your books _Ancient Runes: A Beginners Guide To Interpretation._"__

The students nodded.

"Turn to chapter one and read through the first five pages before we start the practical part of the lesson," Draco instructed.

Draco shook his head with a slight smile.  It was the same every year, with every new set of students.  Luckily for him, the students didn't start their electives until third year so by then most of the students were used to seeing him and Harry around the halls.  There was always one, however, who just had to ask about their relationship.  

The students obediently opened their books and started reading.  Every now and again one of them would glance up at him with a curious expression.  Draco knew what they were wondering about.  Harry and Draco had decided to shake things up in Hogwart's a bit.  It really was getting a bit stale, he thought with a grin, all the staff are middle-aged and stuck in their ways.  Neither Harry nor Draco ever wore robes for any occasion.  Dumbledore had never commented on it so they assumed it was okay for them to wear what they liked.  For example, right now Draco was wearing the pants and boots he got married in and a white cotton shirt.  

Draco and Harry had been teaching at Hogwarts for the past five years and every year Draco marvelled that he and Harry and their friends had ever been as young and naive as the students they taught.  Harry had managed to break the curse on the DADA position and had made it though his first year without incident.  

In their second year of teaching, there had only been one incident and that had been entirely Draco's fault.  Hey, Draco thought defensively, how was I supposed to know that Harry had another class straight after the Ravenclaw fifth years?  I had a free period and I assumed he had one too.  Really, you'd think those Hufflepuff second years had gone blind, the way they'd screamed at the sight of us.  We weren't even naked!  Okay so we were half naked, but that's not the point.

Draco shook himself out of his reverie and realised that the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw class were staring at him.  

"When you've finished reading, you may chose a partner and one of you can come up here and collect a bag of Runes.  You will be interpreting a basic spread of Runes for your partner.  Take notes as you go and refer to your book.  You will be writing two feet of parchment about your partners Runes for homework to be handed in next lesson, so take comprehensive notes and concentrate."

Draco wandered around the room, helping students with their work here and there.  He really enjoyed teaching, particularly his Gryffindor/Ravenclaw classes.  Slytherin/Hufflepuff weren't too bad.  It could be worse, he thought, I could have Slytherin/Gryffindor.  Were we ever as bad as they are now?  Draco decided to ask Harry about it later.  

~ The Great Hall ~

Harry entered the Great Hall and glanced around.  There was his husband, sitting at the teacher's table (would that ever _not_ feel weird? he wondered) chatting to Snape.  

"Good afternoon, Severus," Harry said cheerfully as he sat down next to Draco.  He kissed the blond and helped himself to some lunch.  Snape ignored him, as usual, but the look on his face was priceless.  Snape was still, after five whole years, startled when Harry addressed him by his first name, and with such exuberance.

"How was your first lesson of the day, love?" Draco asked Harry.

"Fine," he replied with a grin.  "I had the Slytherin seventh years, which is always a lot of fun.  If it weren't for the fact that I defeated Voldemort, I believe they would be a lot more vocal in their disapproval of our marriage.  That's why I always make sure to start the school year with curses.  Once they see the sheer volume of curses I know and willingly use on the students, I have no problems after that!"

"Harry!" a shocked voice said from behind them.  "I can't believe your cursing your students!"

Harry jumped up as he recognised that voice.  "Hermione!  I was wondering when you would get here.  Congratulations on getting the Arithmancy job!"

Harry swept her up into a hug.  "And you know I only use the harmless curses, the showy ones that look worse than they actually are.  I would never harm anyone and you know that."

Hermione looked relieved as Draco hugged her.  Hermione's curious gaze swept over him and then did the same to Harry.  Draco joined her in staring appreciatively at his husband.  Harry was wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt, which made him look mysterious and sexy.

"Where are your robes?" she asked them both.

"We don't wear robes, Herm.  You know that," Draco replied disdainfully.

"Not even when you're teaching?" she sounded scandalised.

"How hypocritical would that be?" Harry asked,  "Where's Ron?"

"He'll be along soon.  He's talking to Madam Hooch before she leaves in a few minutes.  Whoever would have thought that two positions would come up at the same time?"

"Yeah," Harry chimed in with a wink to Hermione and Draco.  "The Hogwart's professors are dropping like flies.  You'd better be careful, Severus."

Snape glared at the three of them.  "Thank you for your concern, Potter, but I think I can look after myself."  

"Ah, Hermione, so glad you made it at last," Dumbledore said as he joined the group.  "And where is our new flying teacher?"

"Professor Weasley is discussing teaching strategies with Madam Hooch before she leaves," Hermione said with a grin.  Ron had been so excited when he was offered this job.  He had quit his job with his father at the Ministry immediately and could talk of nothing but flying techniques and Quidditch.  

"Oh dear," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.  "We have two Professor Potters and now we have two Professor Weasleys."

"I'm sure the students will cope," Draco said dryly.  

~TBC~

A.N. I wasn't going to continue this quite so soon, but I had an idea of how to start this chapter today when I was driving home so I decided to write it.  But I have started Chapter 11 for Lead Me Not Into Temptation but that will not be out until the New Year.  

It's not half obvious that I don't like those robes they wear, is it? *grins*  I'm sure Harry and Draco will be leading the entire school astray in no time….


	2. Do It To Me Right Now, Do It To Me Slowl...

~ Defence Against The Dark Arts Classroom ~

"One of the most important things you need to do is to _really_ know how you feel about dark magic.  It's no good deciding that you are going to be an Auror and catch dark wizards and then when you're in a dangerous situation suddenly realise that you don't feel right about casting dark magic.  Yes, you heard me correctly.  Casting dark magic.  As a wizard, Auror or not, you may find yourself in a life or death situation where you may be forced to use dark magic.  I've lost count of the number of times I've been confronted with my own mortality.  You need to examine your feelings and your abilities and decide whether you feel comfortable dealing with dark magic.  Some people just don't have the stomach for it, and that's fine.  But those of you contemplating careers in Magical Law Enforcement or with the Department of Mysteries, you need to clarify your beliefs, attitudes and values when it comes to magic – light or dark."

The bell rang but no one moved.  Professor Potter's classes were always fascinating but what the students really related to was the way he treated them all as his equals.  If Harry's classroom was a democracy, then Snape's was a dictatorship.  

"Okay, guys, we'll pick this up next week.  But in the meantime, I want you to write me a four-foot parchment about your feelings, beliefs, attitudes and values towards magic.  No references are necessary unless you really want to.  I want to know what _you_ think.  See you next time."

Harry turned as the class shuffled off to their next class and sat down at his desk.  He started sorting out his notes, even though he didn't have another class until the next day.  

"Professor Potter?" a feminine voice practically purred.  Harry glanced up from a stack of parchment.

"Eve, what can I do for you?" he asked with a friendly smile.  Eve was one of his favourite students, not that he'd ever admit that.  She reminded him of what he thought his mother might have been like at school.  She had long dark red hair, bright blue eyes and a stunning figure.  Most of the guys in the school had at some point unsuccessfully tried to hit on her.  

She smiled as she strolled over to his desk and perched on the edge.  Her robes fell away to reveal an incredibly short skirt and incredibly long legs, which she crossed.

"Professor Potter, I was wondering if you could help me with this homework you've assigned to us.  I was thinking maybe you could give me a private lesson after dinner this evening," she said as she leant closer to him.

Harry leant back from her.  If he didn't know better, he'd swear she was coming on to him.

"A private lesson?  This homework is really something you need to do yourself," he started to explain before Eve interrupted him.

"Please, Professor Potter.  I really need your help," she said as she cupped his face in her hand and pulled his head closer until their lips met.

Harry pushed her away and stood up.  "I'm sorry Eve, but I think you'd better go now."

"Professor Potter, could I speak to you please?" a voice came from the doorway.

Harry was relieved to see Ron standing there.

"Of course, Professor Weasley.  Miss Williams was just leaving," he gave her a pointed look as she gathered her books and left the room.

"What the hell was that?" Ron said with a shocked look.

"I don't know," Harry admitted as he ran a hand through his hair.

"You know when Draco finds out, he's going to kill her," Ron said with a grin.

"I can't believe that just happened," Harry seemed to be a bit dazed.

"Come on, in five years of teaching here, she can't be the first one to hit on you, can she?" Ron asked.

"Well, she's certainly been the most blatant.  Everyone here knows that Draco and I are married so I guess no one really bothered before.  What am I going to tell him?"

"Ooh, let me tell him!  Please!  You can make it my birthday present!" Ron pleaded.

"No!  I'll have to tell him.  And soon, you know what the Hogwarts grapevine is like," Harry said as he threw his notes and books into his bag.  "I'll see you at dinner, okay?"

"Sure.  I have to go see Hermione anyway," Ron said as he bolted out of the room.  Harry sighed.  Soon the faculty would know even if the other students didn't.  I just hope Draco's in our room, he thought.

~ Draco and Harry's Quarters ~

Harry entered the living room to find Draco sitting on the couch reading a book titled _Karma Sutra for Wizards_.

"Hi wonder boy, how was your day?" Draco said as he put his book down.

Harry dropped his bag by the door and sank down onto the couch beside his husband.

"That bad, huh?" Draco asked as he straddled Harry on the couch.  "I know what will make you feel better!"  He kissed Harry and then pulled back.

"You taste funny," he said, confused.  

"I need to talk to you about something," Harry said quietly.  "After class this afternoon, one of my students came on to me and she kissed me but I pushed her away."

Draco's face crumpled and then twisted in rage.  "I'll kill the fucking bitch.  Who was it?  Was it that Hufflepuff slut Faith Collins?"

"No.  Calm down.  It's okay, Ron came in and she left," Harry said as he pulled Draco back into his arms.  "I'll talk to her and it won't happen again."

"No wonder you tasted weird.  Eww gross, I've practically kissed a girl now," Draco wiped his mouth, trying to rid himself of 'girl germs'.  

"It was strange," Harry admitted.  He stared up into Draco's stormy eyes.  "You know I love you more than life itself.  I would never leave you for anyone."

"I love you too," Draco said as he wiped his husbands mouth before kissing him.  "That's better.  You taste normal now.  So who was it?"

"I'm not telling you.  Forget about it.  She's not important.  We have something very important to do before dinner," Harry said suggestively.

"Oh, and what's that?" Draco asked, feigning ignorance.

Harry stood up with Draco still in his arms.  He carried the blond into the bedroom and showed him.

~TBC~

A.N. The title for this chapter is from the song Right Now by Atomic Kitten.  I love that song and I was stuck for a chapter title.  Seemed appropriate for Eve….


	3. Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold

~ The Great Hall ~  
  
Draco sat at the teacher's table watching the student tables with interest. He was attempting to figure out who had hit on Harry since no one would tell him who it was. He had already eliminated the Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs because of a random comment Harry had made earlier. Therefore he was watching the Gryffindors with great interest.  
  
It was about mid-way through lunch that Draco noticed it. The red-head from his seventh year Gryffindor/Slytherin Ancient Runes class was staring at Harry with unashamed longing.  
  
Eve Williams. So she was the slut who had hit on his Harry. Well, she would pay for that.  
  
"Drac-o?" Harry cooed, waving his hand in front of Draco's eyes.  
  
"Wha?" Draco dragged his gaze from the evil temptress to his husband.  
  
"What's so fascinating at the Gryffindor table now that I don't sit there?" Harry asked teasingly.  
  
"Uh….I think there are a couple of kids who think they are the next Fred and George over there. I'm keeping an eye on them," Draco said quickly. Not a total lie, there were two forth year boys who fancied themselves to be pranksters, but they would never be in the same league as the Weasley twins.  
  
"Oh, Jack and Wesley. They're harmless. I'm trying to have a conversation with my gorgeous husband and you're more concerned with two wannabes. Sometimes I wonder why I bother," Harry said in mock-frustration.  
  
"Sorry. You have my undivided attention," Draco said soothingly as he turned to face Harry.  
  
"Well, what were you saying before?" Draco asked.  
  
"I can't remember now," Harry pouted. Draco laughed and kissed Harry quickly.  
  
"Ugh, don't you two ever stop?" Ron complained good-naturedly as Hermione grinned at them.  
  
"How was flying class today?" Draco asked Ron, "those first years giving you any trouble?"  
  
"Nah. I don't know what it is about kids these days, they just don't have any spark. God, the trouble we used to get into," Ron sighed sentimentally as the other three rolled their eyes.  
  
~ Ancient Runes Classroom ~  
  
Draco surveyed his seventh year Gryffindor/Slytherin class as they worked on translating their runes. Eve was working diligently, the very image of a model student.  
  
The bell rang and the students scrambled to pack up their books and hurry off to their common rooms.  
  
"Eve, could I see you for a moment, please," Draco requested firmly, leaving no room for discussion.  
  
"Sure, Professor Potter," she said sweetly, staying in her seat. Draco walked towards her and sat on the desk in front of her.  
  
"I know about the little incident after Defence Against the Dark Arts class yesterday," Draco said calmly.  
  
Eve looked startled for a second and then simply looked smug.  
  
"You know I really have to doubt Harry's sexuality, he really seemed to get into that kiss," she said slyly.  
  
Draco's eyes narrowed.  
  
"He is a married man, Eve. If you want an affair with a professor, go after Snape. Just keep your hands, and your mouth, away from my husband. Trust me, you do not want me as your enemy," Draco said grimly.  
  
"Are you threatening me?" Eve asked, disbelieving.  
  
"No, merely pointing out that I have a vast knowledge of the dark arts and I'm not afraid to use it," Draco said conversationally.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind," Eve said, not quite so sure of herself now. She'd heard the stories about the Malfoy family and knew enough to know that the Professor wasn't lying.  
  
"See that you do," Draco replied, picking up his bag and leaving a shaken Eve still sitting in the middle of the classroom.  
  
~ Quidditch Pitch ~  
  
Hermione was sitting watching Ron and Harry playing one-on-one Quidditch when Draco sat down next to her. Across the field there was a large group of girls, all giggling and pointing at Harry. Draco scowled at the sight.  
  
"Hi Draco, how are you?" she asked, noting his serious expression.  
  
"Better, now," he replied with a small smile.  
  
"Okay, what's going on?" she asked, abandoning all pretence of watching the game and devoting her attention to the troubled former-Slytherin.  
  
"I just had a conversation with Eve Williams," Draco said, watching Hermione's expression thoughtfully. It was obvious she knew the significance of that name.  
  
"Oh?" Hermione said casually.  
  
"Don't play that game, Mione. We both know what that little slut did. She had just better keep away from Harry or…"  
  
"Or what, Draco? No, I really want to know," Hermione said curiously, "What would you do if she did hit on Harry again?"  
  
"Something humiliating. Something painful…." Draco's voice cracked, "Oh god. I threatened a student. I'm turning into my father aren't I? Something happens that interferes with my plans so I remove it. At least I just threatened her, I could have done something much worse. I'm a monster aren't I?" Draco held his head in his hands, a picture of despair. He was babbling, almost incoherently.  
  
Hermione reached out and rubbed his shoulder. "You are not a monster, Draco. You are a caring person who loves Harry very much. You just got a bit carried away. You know Harry would never leave you for a girl or anyone for that matter. He adores you. And as for that stuff about your father, I think you ought to talk to Harry about it. It's obviously troubling you."  
  
"I can't. Please don't tell him what I did to Eve. He'd never forgive me," Draco pleaded with desperate eyes.  
  
"I won't bring it up, but if he asks me, I won't lie," Hermione compromised.  
  
"Thank you." Draco said softly.  
  
"You know you can't keep bottling up this anger towards your father, one of these days it's all going to spill out and it won't be pretty," she warned.  
  
"Doctor Mione is in the house!" Draco announced.  
  
"Make fun of me all you want, but you'll see. One of these days," Hermione said as she stood up. Ron and Harry had landed and were walking towards them. Draco quickly pulled himself together and stood up to kiss his husband.  
  
~TBC~ 


	4. Mysterious Ways

~ Harry and Draco's bedroom ~

Draco turned over in bed, trying in vain to get comfortable.  He couldn't get his father out of his mind.  It was eating away at him and he hated it.  Draco longed for the carefree days when he'd…..actually he'd never had carefree days.  Well, kind of when he and Harry were at school and they'd strutted around as if they'd owned the place.  He'd been really good at pushing away all the crap his father had thrown at him, so why now, when his father was dead, and had been for nearly six years, was he unable to forget the things his father had done?

Draco turned over again, facing the wall.  Suddenly he felt Harry's body pressing against his back and Harry's arms around him, holding him close.

"What's wrong?" Harry whispered in his ear.

"Nothing," Draco replied softly, almost desperately, wanting it to be the truth.

"You've been tossing and turning for hours.  Something's bothering you.  Tell me," Harry commanded gently, trying to keep the worry out of his voice and sound reassuring at the same time.  

"I just….I can't talk about it," Draco said unhappily.

"You know you can tell me anything," Harry replied, pushing the hurt he felt at Draco's insistence that he couldn't tell Harry aside.

"I know, but this is different," Draco said as he pushed Harry's arms away and got out of bed.  He pulled on his bathrobe and stepped into the bathroom, firmly closing the door.

Harry lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling.  He bit his lip as he tried to figure out what had Draco so worked up.  They'd never had any secrets before…._that you know of_, a little voice in the back of his head added nastily.  _And what about you not telling Draco that it was Eve Williams who hit on you, isn't that a secret? He still doesn't know about that, does he?  _The voice continued tormenting Harry.

Draco opened the door to the bathroom and sighed as he saw that Harry was still awake.

"I'm sorry Harry, but I just can't deal with it right now.  Will you please trust me to tell you when I'm ready?" Draco pleaded as he walked over and knelt on the bed.  

Harry stared up at his husband and nodded, "Okay.  Just remember I'm here whenever you need me."

Draco smiled, threw off his bathrobe and lay down next to his husband.  He snuggled into Harry's side,  "I love you Harry."

Harry kissed the top of Draco's head and pulled him closer, "I love you too, Draco."

~ The Great Hall ~

The next morning at breakfast, Draco seemed to be his usual, vivacious self.  Ron left early to prepare for the Ravenclaw Quidditch trials that being held that morning and Harry, Draco and Hermione used his absence to their advantage to plan a surprise birthday party for him.  

"Albus is letting us use the Great Hall for the party.  He said the students can eat in their common rooms that night," Hermione informed them.

"I call decorations," Draco said excitedly.  

"Okay, you can be in charge of decorations," Hermione said grudgingly, "but nothing as elaborate as your fifth wedding anniversary party last summer at Godric's Hollow."

"That wasn't elaborate," Draco said indignantly as Hermione and Harry snorted, "it was simple and elegant."

"Draco, you had a massive ice sculpture of the two of us kissing in the middle of the garden!" Harry said with a laugh.

"And fairy lights everywhere," chimed in Hermione.

"They seemed appropriate," Draco said defensively.

"Anyway, if that is your idea of simple, then I think maybe I'd better handle the decorations," Hermione said.

"No, please Mione.  Look, I swear it will be plain and boring, I mean, tasteful," Draco stared pleadingly at Hermione.

"Okay, fine.  You're in charge of decorations.  Harry, you're in charge of food and drink, since you're such good friends with the house elves," Hermione instructed as Harry grimaced.

"Do I have to?" he whined.

"Yes," Hermione snapped.  "You know Ron had the muggle flu last year when it was his 21st birthday, so we're going to make sure his 22nd makes up for it."

"Hey, what's Eve Williams doing?" Draco asked angrily, staring daggers at the young Gryffindor girl as she walked towards the staff table.  He sagged with relief as he realised she wasn't heading for Harry.

Harry was squirming uncomfortably in his seat.  It was obvious from Draco's behaviour that he knew that she was the one who had hit on him.  What he didn't know (at least Harry _thought_ he didn't know) was that she wasn't the only one, she was just the most blatant.  

Harry, Draco and Hermione stared in morbid fascination as Eve sauntered up to the other end of the teacher's table and walked around the back next to Snape.  She sat down on the table right next to him and crossed her legs.  Just as it had when she tried to seduce Harry, her robe fell open to reveal her tanned legs.  They watched Snape's eyes widen as they travelled up her legs to her face.  Eve smiled at him and leaned closer to whisper something to him.  

Harry, Draco and Hermione stared in disbelief as Snape laughed at her comment and allowed her to take his hand and lead him from the room.  Harry glanced over at Dumbledore.  The headmaster looked amused by this display.  

"So anyway, what are you in charge of then, Hermione?" Draco asked, directing the conversation back to Ron's party.

"The guest list of course," she replied.

"Who are you going to invite?" Harry asked.

"All the old crowd from Gryffindor, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ron's family of course, my family, you two, the staff here at Hogwart's, and some of Ron's friend's from the ministry," Hermione ticked them all off on her fingers.

"God, no wonder you want plain and boring decorations!" Draco exclaimed, "that group is just dull.  Better stock up on the alcohol, Harry."

"Hey!" Hermione said indignantly.

"Fred and George will be there, they'll liven things up if it gets boring," Harry said with a grin.

"It is not going to be boring!" Hermione insisted angrily, "It is going to be tasteful and stylish and-"

"Boring!" Draco cut in.  "You should invite some of the guys from Slytherin.  Now they know how to party!"

"Draco, they're Death Eaters," Harry chided him gently.

"Oh yeah, I always forget that part.  But it's not like they're hurting anyone," he argued.

"Only because they don't have a leader," countered Harry.

"Whatever," Draco dismissed the entire conversation with the wave of a hand.  "I have to get ready for my first class.  See you later."

"Bye," Harry and Hermione said.

"There's something going on with him," Harry said pensively as he watched his beloved husband leave the room.

"Oh for god's sake Harry!" Hermione snapped, "You've been married to him for five years and your only now figuring it out?"

Harry turned naïve eyes to Hermione and she was annoyed to realise that Harry truly had no idea of what was eating away at his husband.

~TBC~

A.N. Sorry it's taking so long to get chapters out.  I'm in England now, teaching, which is hard work.  I hardly have any time to myself anymore.  England is pretty cool.  Hey, I saw Lord of the Rings last weekend and that guy Aragon or however you spell it, he would make a great Sirius Black.  Yeah, sure he's American but god he's hot and he looks just like Sirius!


	5. Get The Party Started

~ The Great Hall ~  
  
Draco watched, amused, as Seamus surreptitiously poured a whole bottle of vodka into the non-alcoholic punch. Ron's surprise party had officially started half an hour before but guests were still arriving. Ron wasn't due to show up for another hour. Harry was keeping him busy and away from the castle by playing a little one-on-one Quidditch down on the Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch. He had strict instructions not to bring Ron back before seven pm.  
  
The Hall was beautifully decorated with blue and silver candles hovering in the air above everyone's heads. The tables and chairs near the buffet matched perfectly and in the middle was a dance floor complete with a DJ. Hermione looked around in satisfaction. Draco had delivered. He might have outlandish taste when it came to his and Harry's parties but when decorating for someone else, he knew how to please.  
  
Harry had come through with the food as well. The buffet was well stocked with old favourites and new exotic dishes - something for everyone. Next to the buffet was a bar with Dobby serving drinks in a mini tuxedo.  
  
Hermione smiled at her guests and moved towards the door to greet the new arrivals.  
  
"Charlie, Justin, I'm so glad you could make it," Hermione said warmly, kissing them both on the cheek.  
  
"I wouldn't miss my little brother's birthday party," Charlie said, reaching for Justin's hand. "Come on, let's dance."  
  
Hermione watched in amusement as her brother in law pulled the former-Hufflepuff out onto the dance floor and into his arms for a slow dance. Justin blushed as Charlie whispered something in his ear and Hermione felt a surge of triumph. She'd known they'd be perfect for each other when she set them up about 18 months ago and they were still so in love. It was beautiful to watch.  
  
"They are an adorable couple," someone commented behind Hermione.  
  
"Not nearly as adorable as you and Harry," Hermione countered. Draco stepped up beside her and grinned.  
  
"True. But you have to give them credit for trying," he replied.  
  
"Fifteen minutes until Harr.......Hey, what the hell does Snape think he's doing?" Draco snapped sounding outraged.  
  
Hermione's eyes followed his gaze to where Snape had just entered with his date - Eve Williams.  
  
"That slut! She wasn't invited, was she?" Draco asked.  
  
"No. She must be his date," Hermione replied, her eyes narrowing. This could ruin what was going to be the perfect party.  
  
Draco started to walk towards the unlikely couple but Hermione pulled him back. "No! Draco, let me handle this. Fred, George, keep him away from Snape and Eve for me, okay?"  
  
"Sure thing, Mione," they replied, each grabbing one of Draco's arms. "So is it quiet here at Hogwart's now that we've graduated?"  
  
"No. There are two boys in Gryffindor who are determined to live up to your reputation," Draco replied automatically, his eyes on Hermione as she confronted Snape. Eve glanced smugly over at Draco and her smile widened as she saw how badly her presence here had affected him. Draco knew in that moment that she was just using Snape to get to Harry.  
  
Fred and George had continued the conversation, "Really? We'll have to give them some pointers, won't we George?"  
  
"First thing tomorrow morning, I say,"  
  
"We'll be able to teach those young whippersnappers a thing or two!"  
  
"Maybe we should see if Dumbledore wants to start a new subject here at Hogwarts. We could call it Mischief and Mayhem, or Total Chaos."  
  
"Excellent idea, Fred."  
  
"Let go of me," Draco hissed as he wrenched his arms from their grip. He stalked towards Hermione, Snape and Eve but was accosted on the way by Charlie and Justin.  
  
"Whoa, Draco. Slow down. Hermione has the situation under control. Let her deal with it," Charlie said firmly.  
  
"You know about all this too? Who else knows?" Draco asked.  
  
"Just our family," Charlie said soothingly. "Calm down. Harry is not going to want to see you like this when he comes back with Ron."  
  
At the mention of his beloved husband, Draco crumpled. He fell into a nearby seat and buried his face in his hands. Charlie and Justin exchanged a look and sat down next to him.  
  
"I really need to learn how to deal with this better," Draco said laughing bitterly. "I mean, Harry gets hit on all the time. It comes with the territory, being the boy who lived. He tries to keep it from me but I always find out somehow."  
  
"He's just trying to protect you," Justin said softly. He was still a little unsure of how to act around Draco. They'd barely known each other at Hogwarts and even then Justin had only known Draco by reputation.  
  
"I know," Draco snapped. "But that doesn't make it any easier. What if he decides that he'd rather be with-"  
  
"He's been with you for seven years and you've been married for five of those years, I really don't think that he's going to suddenly decide that he wants to be with someone else. He adores you," Charlie said firmly.  
  
"What on earth happened to make you so insecure?" Fred asked, as he joined the group.  
  
"It's only Eve. I don't care about the others who hit on him. Harry admitted to me ages ago, before this happened, that she is his favourite student. She reminds him of his mother. I can't compete with that," Draco said miserably.  
  
"You don't have to compete with that," Harry said incredulously. "And even if you did have to compete with her, you would win hands down every single time."  
  
Draco glanced up in shock. Harry wasn't supposed to be here yet but Draco was incredibly grateful that he was. Draco shot up out of the chair and wrapped his arms around Harry, clinging to him tightly. Harry held him just as tightly and smiled at Fred. Fred returned the smile and a thumbs up. The twins had seen how upset Draco was by Eve and knew that only Harry could make him feel better so George had gone to relieve Harry of his Ron-sitting duties and sent Harry into the hall to talk some sense into his husband.  
  
Harry pulled back slightly and framed Draco's face with his hands, his thumbs caressing Draco's cheeks.  
  
"You know I love you more than life itself," Harry reminded him gently as Draco smiled sheepishly. "I would never ever leave you, my dragon. Without you, my life is not worth living."  
  
"I'm sorry sweetie. I love you too, so much that sometimes it makes me a little crazy," Draco admitted before he kissed Harry thoroughly.  
  
From the other side of the room, dancing with Snape, Eve glared at Harry and Draco. Her plan to seduce Harry this evening clearly was not going to work. It was time for Plan B.  
  
~TBC~ 


	6. Sex In The Dungeon

~The Great Hall~  
  
The morning after Ron's birthday party, the students were eating their breakfast in complete silence. McGonagall had already snapped at them for making too much noise and no one was game to make a single sound now. Most of the teachers at the staff table had a terrible hang over and the usual noise at breakfast was too much to handle.  
  
Ron, Hermione, Harry and Draco were sitting down one end of the staff table, whispering among themselves.  
  
"Thanks for a fantastic party, you guys," Ron said, grinning at the other three. "I had a great time."  
  
"I'm so glad honey," Hermione said, kissing him softly.  
  
"May I have your attention please," Dumbledore requested. Everyone in the Great Hall turned to face him.  
  
"I have some sad news. Professor Snape has had to leave Hogwarts. Therefore we need a new Potions Master. I am pleased to announce that Professor Draco Potter will be the new Potions teacher and the new head of Slytherin house," Dumbledore paused as the students cheered.  
  
Draco looked utterly shocked but delighted all the same.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me, love?" Harry asked, smiling proudly at his husband.  
  
"I didn't know," Draco replied, grinning gloriously.  
  
Dumbledore raised his hand to halt the noise.  
  
"Some of you may be wondering who will be teaching Ancient Runes now that Professor Potter has been moved. I am pleased to welcome Professor Sirius Black to Hogwarts." Once again Dumbledore was forced to pause (and eventually gave up waiting for them to be quiet and sat down) as the students cheered wildly as Sirius strutted into the Hall in leather pants and a tight shirt. He winked at Harry and waved to the students like a movie star.  
  
Draco looked relieved. Sirius might be twenty years older than them, but he still retained his youthful looks and by the way the girls were acting, maybe they wouldn't hit on Harry anymore now that they had a single, heterosexual professor to hit on.  
  
Sirius took his seat next to Harry and grinned at the four of them.  
  
"God, you were right, Harry," Hermione said gravely. "The Professors really are dropping like flies."  
  
"What did Snape do to get canned?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
"I think the more appropriate question would be `who' did Snape do to get canned," Sirius replied with a knowing smile.  
  
Harry gasped. "You don't mean?"  
  
Sirius nodded. "Look over at the Gryffindor table. See anyone missing?"  
  
The four of them swivelled their head around to scan the Gryffindor table. Draco was the first to spot it.  
  
"Eve," he commented quietly.  
  
"That's right," Sirius said seriously. "She's been transferred to an all girls magical school which has no male teachers. And Snape didn't leave, he was fired."  
  
All four of them gasped at this news.  
  
"Why was Snape fired?" Hermione asked softly.  
  
"Sleeping with a student," Sirius replied. "He's had so many chances over the years that I guess Dumbledore just couldn't give him another one."  
  
~Potions Dungeon~  
  
"Good morning," Draco said, smiling around at his seventh year Gryffindor/Slytherin class. They stared back at him in shock, obviously not used to a Potions Master who actually smiled.  
  
"I believe you have been working on poisons this term," Draco commented lightly, his gaze meeting each and every student's in the class. The Slytherins looked wary, obviously uncertain as to whether Draco would be as biased towards Slytherin as Snape had been.  
  
"Rather than making any, we are going to work on identifying poisons and which antidote would work best. This is practical work which will help you when you leave Hogwarts so you can avoid poisons or if you cannot avoid them, you can find the correct antidote,"  
  
Draco passed out the equipment needed for the lesson and wandered among the students checking their work and dispensing house points to anyone who was working well, regardless of their house.  
  
The atmosphere in the dungeon was relaxed and light-hearted, a world away from the feel of the classroom when Snape was teaching.  
  
Later that evening, Harry entered the dungeon in search of his husband. Draco hadn't been seen all day. There he was. Harry sighed with relief, he'd been getting worried.  
  
Draco was standing up on a desk pushed up against the back wall, straining to reach the windows that lined the top of the walls. He was pulling off whatever lined the windows to prevent light shining in.  
  
"Draco, what on earth are you doing?" Harry asked incredulously. "The house elves can do that."  
  
Draco smiled sheepishly down at his husband. "I guess I just got excited. I want to change things in here. It's been so dark and dreary for years."  
  
"Come on," Harry said, holding his arms up to Draco. The blonde man placed his hands on Harry's shoulders and jumped down off the table and into Harry's arms. Harry held him tightly and then laughed.  
  
"What?" Draco asked, wrinkling his brow in confusion.  
  
"You have cobwebs in your hair," Harry said indulgently as he ran his hands through Draco's fine blonde hair to get them out.  
  
Draco smiled, revelling in the sensation and kissed Harry tenderly. They held each other firmly as the kiss intensified.  
  
"Ever wanted to do it in here?" Draco whispered, revealing a long hidden fantasy.  
  
Harry grinned, "Yes, but Snape isn't here to catch us."  
  
"So pretend he is," Draco said huskily, leaning in to kiss Harry.  
  
They tumbled to the floor in a flurry of activity, clothes flying around the room. Eventually Harry lay naked on the cold floor with Draco bent over him. Draco was pressing hot kisses over Harry's stomach. He glanced up at Harry through his lashes, a seductive look filled with the promise of desire fulfilled. Harry stared back at him with lust filled eyes. Five years of marriage had done nothing to diminish the hunger they felt for each other...  
  
~TBC~ 


	7. Out Of Reach

~Harry and Draco's bedroom~  
  
"No! No! No! No! No! No!" Draco screamed in his sleep, trapped in a nightmare.  
  
Harry was sleeping peacefully when Draco, screaming and wildly kicking and flailing his arms about, startled him awake.  
  
"Wha? Drac? Draco!" Harry pulled the struggling man into his arms and tried to soothe a terrified Draco.  
  
Draco's eyes opened suddenly and he sobbed against Harry's shoulder. He had had nightmares before but this one had been far worse. They had been growing steadily worse since his father had died five years ago until now they were almost unbearable.  
  
Harry rubbed Draco's back and murmured words of comfort into the blonde's ear.  
  
"Honey? This can't go on. You have to talk about this, if not to me, then to someone else, maybe a counsellor," Harry suggested softly, pushing aside the hurt that his husband felt like he couldn't talk to him. He had been trying to convince Draco to talk about his nightmares for five years now without success, so maybe talking to an impartial stranger might make Draco feel better. By now Harry was willing to try anything to help Draco be happy again.  
  
"No, no I can't," Draco sobbed.  
  
It broke Harry's heart to see him like this. It was becoming more frequent too, like something was haunting his husband. This was the third night in a row that Draco had woken him up with his nightmares.  
  
"What about Hermione? You know she did that muggle course in counselling to help the students here," Harry said cautiously.  
  
"No! I can't talk to anyone," Draco said distraughtly as he pushed Harry away and rolled over to face the wall.  
  
Harry watched Draco's shaking shoulders for a moment before sliding across the bed to spoon Draco, holding him firmly against his body.  
  
"What if you wrote it down? It might make you feel better to get it out of your system. No one need ever read it," Harry suggested, clutching at straws. He was at a loss to know what to do to make Draco feel better and Draco wasn't making it any easier. He insisted on bottling up whatever it was that was bothering him and he was burying himself in his work. Sure, the Slytherins had never been happier and Potions class had never been better but at the expense of Draco's mental health? It just wasn't worth it, in Harry's book.  
  
Draco was quiet. Harry hoped he was considering at least one of his suggestions. Harry was naturally a doer, a fixer and not being able to fix whatever was wrong with Draco was making him feel useless. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, the destroyer of Voldemort and the bringer of peace to the wizarding world was not used to feeling useless.  
  
"Maybe [hic] writing it down would help…" Draco sniffled.  
  
Harry tightened his arms around Draco and pressed a kiss on his bare shoulder, silently showing his support.  
  
"I think I will try that," Draco said, his voice trembling only slightly now. He squirmed in Harry's arms until Harry loosened his hold on his husband and slid out of bed. He wrapped his robe around his slim frame and left a bemused Harry lying in bed, watching Draco leave the room.  
  
Harry sat up, pulled on his own robe and got up to peek into the living room. Draco was already seated at the desk, a stack of parchment before him and his quill already flying across the page.  
  
Harry smiled, a touch sadly. At last Draco had found a way to express the hurt he was feeling that Harry had unfortunately been unable to ease.  
  
Harry wandered back to bed, pulled off his robe and lay down, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
Tears prickled his eyes as he allowed himself to examine his own hurt at being shut out by Draco. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, willing the tears away. He had to be strong for Draco. It just wouldn't do if Draco knew Harry was about to fall apart.  
  
He didn't understand why Draco didn't trust him enough to confide in him. And having to watch Draco wrestle alone with whichever demons were tormenting him was tearing Harry apart.  
  
The worst part was that he knew Hermione knew something about what was upsetting Draco. He'd noticed the two of them huddled together when he and Ron were playing Quidditch and it had been obvious that they'd been having a deep and meaningful discussion.  
  
He'd tried questioning her about it but she had refused to comment, other than to say that it wasn't her place to tell him.  
  
"I don't even know the whole story," she had said, "just be patient and wait for him to come to you."  
  
I really need to trust him to tell me when he is ready, Harry thought, remembering their conversation before Ron's birthday party when Draco had promised to tell Harry when he felt ready.  
  
Harry eventually fell into an uneasy sleep, broken by dreams of him chasing Draco across a field but he was never able to catch up to him, the blonde was always just out of reach.  
  
~TBC~ 


	8. Hermione Has An Idea (Be Afraid, Be Very...

~ Godric's Hollow ~  
  
The rest of the school year passed without incident. The summer holidays had arrived and Harry and Draco had returned to their home in Godric's Hollow.  
  
Draco had continued to write down his thoughts and problems and his nightmares had gradually diminished until now he could go for weeks without having one.  
  
Harry was glad that his husband was happy again. He still didn't know what was bothering him, but it didn't seem quite so critical that he know now.  
  
Harry was in the kitchen organising caterers and decorators. It was his and Draco's sixth wedding anniversary and that night they were having a party to celebrate.  
  
It was actually Draco's job to plan the party, he always insisted that he was much better at it than Harry, which suited Harry just fine, but today the blonde was no where to be found.  
  
Harry wasn't too worried about his husband. Draco had admitted the night before that he still hadn't found the perfect anniversary present for Harry so he had probably slipped out to go shopping in Diagon Alley.  
  
"White tablecloths, wasn't it Mr Potter?" a decorator asked, holding up a cloth.  
  
"Yes that's right, and black tableware," Harry replied. Draco had decided on a black and white theme, even the guests could only wear black and/or white. Draco had already selected their outfits - Harry was going to wear a white suit and Draco was going to wear a black suit.  
  
Harry wandered out into the garden. The good thing about getting married in the summer was that they could always have their anniversary parties' outdoors. It was a beautiful sunshiny day and the evening promised to be warm and tranquil.  
  
There was a dance floor in the centre of the garden, which was surrounded by tables that seat six. House elves were unfolding the crisp white linen tablecloths and setting the tables ready for the party.  
  
"Harry?" a voice called from inside the house.  
  
"I'm in the garden," Harry called back with a grin.  
  
Draco smiled at him as he stepped into the garden.  
  
"And where have you been?" Harry asked teasingly.  
  
Draco grinned secretively as he slipped his arm around Harry's waist. "You'll find out later. This looks good, doesn't it? I knew this theme would work."  
  
A few hours later, their guests had arrived. Some were dancing, some were chatting in small groups and some, like Ron, had attacked the buffet as soon as they'd arrived and were seated at the tables, eating.  
  
Draco was fussing over everyone, making sure they were having a good time and had all the food and drink they wanted.  
  
Harry was standing by the bar, chatting to guests as they came up to get drinks.  
  
"So, six years. That's a pretty long time," commented Hermione.  
  
Harry narrowed his eyes. Hermione had that same look she'd had when she set up Charlie and Justin. That had turned out well but Harry started to feel scared, very, very scared.  
  
"Yes, it is," Harry said warily.  
  
"You know, most couples have children by the time they've been married that long," she said lightly, but her eyes betrayed her. She studied Harry like he was a specimen under a microscope.  
  
Harry looked startled. That was the last thing he'd expected her to say.  
  
"Last time I checked, that was physically impossible," Harry joked.  
  
"Actually it is possible," Hermione countered, looking smug. "There is a new medi-magic procedure which could combine both your sperm, add it to an egg and a surrogate mother would carry the baby until it is born and then you guys would take him or her home."  
  
"How do you know about this?" Harry asked, not entirely sure he wanted to know. They'd never talked about kids before and although they'd been married for six years now, it still felt like they were rushing into things. Actually it felt like they were being pushed into it.  
  
"I read about it in Witch Weekly," Hermione replied.  
  
"What's this about Witch Weekly?" Draco asked as he stepped up to the bar. He ordered a Cosmopolitan from the house elf and turned towards his husband and Hermione.  
  
"I was telling Harry about an article I read about how gay wizards can have children," Hermione explained.  
  
"I read that too," Draco said casually, gazing around the party at his guests as he sipped his drink.  
  
"You did? Why didn't you tell me about it?" Harry asked, wrinkling his brow in confusion.  
  
"It's been lying on the coffee table all week. You could have read it anytime you wanted," Draco replied, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Oh. Well, what do you think about it?" Harry asked cautiously. Draco was acting very strangely about the whole thing.  
  
"I think that we need more food. I'll just go into the kitchen and sort it out," Draco said, slipping off into the crowd.  
  
"Was it something I said?" Harry asked Hermione with a rueful smile.  
  
"He's really not too keen on the idea, is he?" Hermione replied.  
  
"Who's not too keen on what idea?" Ron asked as he joined them.  
  
"Draco is not keen on the idea of having children," Hermione informed him.  
  
"Well, do you blame him?" Ron said understandingly.  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
Ron stared at him in astonishment. "If you had a father like his, would you want to become a father? It's not like he's had a good role model. If I was Draco, I'd be scared that I'd screw the kid up royally."  
  
Harry looked thoughtful. "I hadn't thought of that."  
  
A while later, Harry was returning from saying goodbye to the last of their guests when he came across Draco, sitting at a table, drinking yet another Cosmopolitan.  
  
"Hey gorgeous, would you like to dance?" Harry asked, smiling down at his husband as he held out his hand.  
  
Draco glanced up, smiled and placed his hand in Harry's, "I'd love to."  
  
Harry led him out onto the empty dance floor and pulled him into his arms. They swayed together to the slow romantic music, enjoying the night air.  
  
"I love you, Draco Potter," Harry whispered in his ear.  
  
Draco pulled slightly away from Harry and stared into his bright green eyes. He pressed his lips to Harry's quickly.  
  
"I love you too, Harry. More than I ever thought possible," he replied quietly, his grey eyes burning into Harry's.  
  
~TBC~ 


	9. Draco's Gift

~ Godric's Hollow ~  
  
"I have a present for you, I wanted to wait until we were alone to give it to you," Draco said, looking nervous as he moved out of Harry's arms. He ran inside to fetch it.  
  
Harry had already given Draco his present, earlier that morning while they were still in bed. Draco had loved the black silk kimono with the embroidered dragon on the back that Harry had bought in Muggle London for him.  
  
Moments later Draco returned with a box wrapped to match the black and white theme of the party.  
  
They sat down next to each other at the nearest table. Harry grinned at him in anticipation as he pulled the box towards him. He pulled at the black satin bow and was about to lift the lid when Draco stopped him.  
  
"Wait. I…I just want you to know, before you open it, that…" Draco paused, not really knowing what he wanted Harry to know but suddenly, desperately, wanting to prolong the moment before Harry saw his gift.  
  
Draco knew he couldn't take it back now. It was far to late for that, but he was having second thoughts about the wisdom of such a gift.  
  
"Oh, go on then," he finally said, clenching his fists.  
  
Harry noted Draco's tense body language and wondered if his gift could be that controversial.  
  
Harry lifted the white lid off the box. Inside, nestled in black and white tissue paper was a dark brown leather book with the title Draco Potter's Journal.  
  
Harry gasped, "Is this what I think it is?"  
  
"Yes," Draco said softly. "It's my journal, everything that I've thought or felt for the last six months is written down on that parchment, just like you suggested I do. I wanted to give it to you. I want you to read it. I've tried talking to you about it, but the words won't come when I try to say them aloud so I thought I'd give you this."  
  
Harry wiped a few stray tears from his eyes. "It means so much to me that you would give this to me, honey."  
  
Harry left the box on the table and pulled Draco out of his chair and into his lap. Harry held Draco tightly.  
  
Draco smiled slightly as he wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. He suddenly felt so much better about giving Harry his journal. The former Gryffindor was obviously delighted by the gift.  
  
The next day, Harry curled up in his favourite armchair with Draco Potter's Journal.  
  
"Harry, do you think we should re-paint this room?" Draco asked nervously.  
  
Harry glanced up and smiled gently as he watched Draco pace in front of him.  
  
"Perhaps a nice pale sea green colour, or maybe a light golden colour," Draco suggested.  
  
"Honey, do you not want me to read this?" Harry asked, gesturing to the journal.  
  
Draco didn't answer.  
  
"Because if you don't want me to, I won't," Harry said, placing the book on the coffee table.  
  
He stood up and crossed to where Draco stood by the window. He stood for a moment, a mere foot from his husband and watched Draco determinedly stare out the window.  
  
"I want you to read it," Draco eventually said in a strangled voice. "I wouldn't have given it to you otherwise."  
  
Harry pulled Draco against him and held the blonde tightly. Draco melted against him.  
  
"I love you, no matter what," he whispered in Draco's ear. "Nothing is ever going to change that."  
  
Harry pressed a reassuring kiss to Draco's cheek and returned to his seat and started reading.  
  
Draco puttered about the house, tidying up here and there, hovering around Harry, waiting for a reaction. Finally he just couldn't take watching Harry read all his innermost thoughts and he retreated to the bathroom to soak in the tub.  
  
He knew Harry had been worrying about him all this time. At least now, Harry would know everything. Oh god, Harry will know everything. All there is to know about me, Draco thought with horror. There will be no part of me that he will not know.  
  
As Draco relaxed in the hot water, he recalled some of the things he had recorded in the journal and almost groaned aloud. What on earth had he been thinking, giving it to his husband? The worst parts of himself, the parts he himself had been trying to block out and pretend they hadn't ever happened and had never wanted to share with Harry, he had now told him.  
  
It will be okay, Draco chanted. Harry loves me, he adores me, he won't leave me because of some sordid events that happened in the past. God, it was so long ago. It really doesn't matter anymore. I'm a totally different person now. Surely Harry sees that…  
  
  
  
~TBC~  
  
A.N. Do you want to read a couple of chapters of Draco's journal? I've written one and have an idea for a second but they are so serious and angsty. Totally not what I am going for with this series. Or would you rather I continued with the children storyline? I really have no where else to go with this story other than children, unless one of them is in a major accident or something…………ideas, I need ideas people! Help me please!  
  
Love you all, thanks for the reviews! 


	10. Draco Potter's Journal - Nightmares And ...

- Draco Potter's Journal -  
  
I keep having nightmares where I'm a kid again, at home with my father. He berates me, as usual and then it starts. The abuse. He hits me over and over again. Nothing is ever good enough for him. I am never good enough for him. I mean I was never good enough for him. The bastard is dead, thank god…but he lives on in my dreams…  
  
They keep getting more and more real, more graphic. I swear I can feel the whip bite into my back some nights. The whippings used to hurt so much until I discovered a way to retreat so deep inside myself, where nothing and no one could hurt me.  
  
I used to wish I was dead. So often I would lay awake in my bed in the Manor and think of all the different ways I could kill myself. Sometimes I'd find myself absently rubbing my wrists, imagining the blood oozing out of the slashed veins.  
  
I used to dread going home for the holidays and rejoiced in my return to school. Hogwarts was my sanctuary. Even with all the chaos that is a boarding school, it was infinitely preferable to life at home.  
  
Thank god for Harry Potter. The bane of my life became my saviour. It was he who gave me the will to live. It was he who made life worth living. I swear, if it weren't for Harry, I'd probably be dead right now. He pulled me back from the brink, just by being him. He probably didn't even realise he was doing it, but he gave me the strength to break from my family.  
  
I feel so weak at not being able to banish these thoughts from my head. My sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts, I was able to do it. Harry and I had a blast during those years, but now with the weight of responsibility hanging around our necks, we have changed. Probably for the better, but we have changed.  
  
Somehow, this change has meant that I am now reliving some of the more twisted parts of my past in my sleep. I revisit Malfoy Manor nightly and live again the terrible things my father did to me – the whipping, the beating, the Cruciatus curse. All because I didn't manage to be top of my year ("Second place is just the first loser," he'd say), or I didn't beat Harry at Quidditch, I was just…me.  
  
I was never good enough for him. My father, I mean. I am just about convinced that I am good enough in Harry's eyes. Perhaps if I gaze into his eyes long enough and see his love for me shining brightly back at me, then I might be totally convinced that I am worthy of him.  
  
I've just read over what I've written and it doesn't make any sense. I'm talking, or writing as the case may be, in circles. There isn't a coherent thought on this page, but I guess that's okay. After all, it is my journal.  
  
I really don't want to dwell on the bleakness of my childhood. Although I suppose that is what this Journal is for. Yes, it was hard. Yes, it was miserable. But I'm sure being forced to live in a cupboard under the stairs would be worse.  
  
I know Harry has been through a lot of terrible things in his life and I feel like such a baby that I can't handle the terrible things that happened in my life.  
  
I'm Draco Potter. I can handle anything. Except maybe this…  
  
~ Godric's Hollow ~  
  
Harry, only about five pages into Draco's journal, closed the book and closed his eyes. He'd known it would be difficult to read but this was harder than he'd imagined. He wiped his tear stained cheeks as he mulled over what he'd read so far.  
  
As he read about Draco's past, he could see it in his mind, playing out like a movie. It tore him apart to think of the pain Draco had been through. And to think that Draco had the audacity to write that he thought being locked in a cupboard under the stairs was worse! Harry knew that he had been better off than Draco. Sure, he had been confined to his cupboard, and then his room, but at least he hadn't been physically abused. Mentally maybe, but not physically.  
  
The fact that Draco had considered suicide had shocked Harry. He'd known that Draco had had some low moments but he hadn't been aware that he'd ever felt that miserable.  
  
It also hurt Harry that Draco didn't think he was good enough for Harry. In Harry's eyes, Draco was an absolute angel. Harry had a sudden urge to reassure Draco and impress upon him the depth of Harry's love and respect for him.  
  
Harry carefully placed the journal on the coffee table and stood up. Draco had gone upstairs a while ago so Harry bounded up the stairs. Draco wasn't in their bedroom or either of the spare rooms. There was only one other place.  
  
Ah, Harry thought with a smile, of course, he's taking a bath. Draco's favourite way to relax.  
  
Harry quickly entered the bathroom, startling Draco. Harry rushed over to the bath and perched on the edge.  
  
"Drac, honey, I just wanted to tell you that you might not have lived up to your father's expectations, but you exceed mine," Harry said passionately.  
  
Draco blinked up at him, taking a moment to process what Harry was trying to say. He suddenly realised that this was in response to what he had written in his journal. His heart leapt, as he understood what Harry meant.  
  
"You mean…" Draco asked hesitantly.  
  
Harry leaned forward and fell into the bath. He pulled himself up so he was sitting in Draco's lap, not caring about his wet clothes. He stared into Draco's eyes.  
  
"Look into my eyes. See all that love in there, shining back at you. Believe me, you are worthy of me. We are worthy of each other," Harry continued before kissing Draco adoringly.  
  
~TBC~ 


	11. Draco Potter's Journal - Death Eater Mat...

- Draco Potter's Journal -  
  
I almost became a Death Eater.  
  
No one knows that. Not even Harry.  
  
It was the end of the summer before Harry and I got together. I was in my room at the Manor when a house elf informed me that my father 'required my presence' in his office.  
  
As soon as I entered the room I knew something was wrong. There was someone else there…Voldemort. He gazed at me appraisingly and then nodded. My father let out the breath he'd obviously been holding and sent me away with a piercing glance.  
  
I knew from that glance that if I did anything to humiliate him when I was 'initiated', then I would be beaten to within an inch of my life.  
  
As soon as I was out of hearing range I ran to my room and locked myself in. A futile gesture I know since 'alohomora' would open the lock in an instant but it made me feel better.  
  
I ran into my bathroom and threw up. I knew what that nod meant. I was acceptable. I was going to be forced to become a Death Eater. I knew then that I didn't want to be one. In the instant that it took for Voldemort to nod, I knew that I could never be a Death Eater.  
  
Before that I was ambivalent. Actually that's not true. When I was younger, I really wanted to be one. I was desperate to be a Death Eater. I remember how much I pissed people off with my constant hero worship of my father and the Death Eaters.  
  
I finally grew up and realised that I didn't really care either way. I probably would have become a Death Eater, just for something to do. What were my other options, really? With the Malfoy name, no one else would want me, especially not the Ministry of Magic. Since Voldemort had returned at the end of my fourth year and had made his presence felt, he had required my father's input on a full time basis, so father had quit the Ministry. Actually he hadn't quit, he'd helped Voldemort attack the Ministry and had left in a blaze of fire.  
  
So, I was throwing up in my bathroom and I realised that in four days time I was due to board the Hogwarts Express and return to school. If I could think of a way to stall them for a few days, then I could get out of it. But my father would see through that. He would know what I was trying to do.  
  
I sat down on the tiled floor and wiped my mouth with the sleeve of my robe. Things were rapidly getting out of control. It was mid-afternoon so I probably had until nightfall to plan my escape.  
  
I ran through my options:  
  
Apparition – apart from the fact that I hadn't learnt how to apparate yet, Malfoy Manor is like Hogwarts, you can't apparate or disapparate from within its walls.  
  
Floo Powder – not an option. My father guarded the Floo Powder so no one could leave without his approval.  
  
Flying – by broom in broad daylight is highly frowned upon, muggles could see you and cause a problem for the Ministry. Really only a last resort.  
  
The Knight Bus – the only real option I had.  
  
Okay, so I just had to get out of the house, out onto the road where I could summon the Knight Bus. Right. Okay then. Easier said than done.  
  
I packed what I considered to be the bare essentials – a few muggle clothes, school books and equipment, my entire collection of pictures of Harry cut out of magazines, broom, and my wand of course.  
  
Anyway, I packed my trunk and then magically reduced it to fit in my pocket, so father didn't think I was running away. I cautiously unlocked my door and crept downstairs. I could hear my father in his office grovelling to Voldemort still so I steered well clear of there. My mother was shopping in Paris so I didn't have to worry about running into her.  
  
I made it to the front door when my father suddenly appeared. I swear, I thought I was going to have a heart attack right then and there.  
  
He asked me where I was going, and I said I was just going for a walk. He stared at me for a moment before simply telling me not to be long.  
  
I walked down to the gates, every second expecting someone to come charging after me and demand to know why I was heading to the gates.  
  
I managed to slip through the gates and had summoned the Knight Bus when someone yelled. It was my father. I stood on the bus and watched him run down the road towards me.  
  
Finally the bus started moving and he disappeared from sight. I made it to the Leaky Cauldron where I had to explain my underage use of magic but when I told my story (well, only what had happened that day, they didn't need to know the rest), the Ministry officials quickly informed Dumbledore who convinced the Weasley's to take me in for the last four days of the summer holidays (where, as luck would have it, Harry was also staying).  
  
I had a narrow escape…which I was all the more thankful for when Harry and I got together. He would never have wanted me if I had an ugly black tattoo on my wrist.  
  
Unfortunately, when Voldemort was finally defeated in our sixth year at school, it was deemed safe to send me home to Malfoy Manor for the summer holidays. This was when my father began to gather support from the remaining Death Eaters.  
  
It was my own fault though. If I had told the whole story then, then no one would have made me go home to that monster. But I can barely talk about it now, so there was no way I could have voiced my fears back then.  
  
~ Godric's Hollow ~  
  
Draco sat on the couch in their living room, his legs folded beneath him, and watched as Harry read more of his journal. He knew what Harry was reading. It was the Death Eater Part. Draco twisted his fingers and felt a twinge of regret that he had ever given Harry the journal.  
  
Harry glanced up and caught Draco's eye. He smiled. A genuine, I-love-you- no-matter-what smile. Draco smiled back. Harry knew everything now. The rest of the diary was just an extension of what Harry had already read. It was the Death Eater Part that had worried him but Harry seemed to be okay with it.  
  
-TBC- 


	12. Draco Potter's Journal - Living With The...

Draco Potter's Journal –  
  
Dumbledore and I arrived at the Weasley's later that evening…  
  
Dumbledore was greeted with hugs, smiles and excited conversation whereas I was greeted with suspicion, contempt and surprisingly, a hug from Mrs Weasley.  
  
Ron glared at me all night, all through dinner. Hermione cast pitying glances my way every so often. But Harry, he sat next to me and even talked to me. Well, he tried to. I was pretty monosyllabic at that point.  
  
After dinner, I excused myself and wandered outside, staring up at the stars and wondering what on earth I had gotten myself into this time.  
  
Harry followed me out, but didn't speak. He just stood nearby, a comforting presence. I just didn't understand why he was being so nice to me. I had been a complete bastard to him the entire time we had been at school and he appeared to have forgotten all that.  
  
"Why are you out here with me, Potter? Why are you even speaking to me? I would have thought you'd act the same as Weasley," I said softly, not entirely sure I wanted to know the answer. Hermione's pity had been hard enough to take, without adding Harry's.  
  
"I've been watching you for a while now, Malfoy, and I've seen the changes in you. Ron's too stubborn to see that yet and Hermione, well Hermione's sceptical at the moment but I know you're different now compared to how you acted during our first four years at Hogwarts. Last year, our fifth year, you were quieter, more introspective," Harry paused, as if considering his next words. "I watched you last year, and I liked what I saw."  
  
My head snapped up at this last comment, what did he mean by that?  
  
Harry merely smiled enigmatically at me, his green eyes twinkling in the moonlight.  
  
"I'm going inside now, goodnight," he said with a grin and he turned at walked inside.  
  
I found myself watching him walk away from me and liking what I saw…  
  
The next morning, breakfast was a chaotic affair. So different to Malfoy Manor where Lucius would read the Daily Prophet while sipping tea from a china teacup and Mother would silently eat her boiled egg and I would sit uncomfortably eating my toast as fast as I could so I could get out of that room.  
  
At the Weasley's, breakfast is loud, rambunctious and fun. Everyone sits together, no one reads anything, not even Hermione, and everyone joins in the light-hearted, teasing conversation.  
  
That first morning, I sat silently and watched everyone interacting around me. Ron and his brothers, well the ones who had been at school with me, ignored me and it was fascinating to watch them all in a different environment.  
  
Harry fascinated me too. He laughed and joked along with the rest of them. He was practically a part of the family. A few times he caught me staring at him and he smiled at me. A genuine, happy-to-see-me smile. I tentatively smiled back which made his smile brighter, if possible.  
  
Ron must have caught at least one of these exchanges because after breakfast I almost walked in on an argument between him and Harry. I was about to walk into the living room when I heard raised voices and my name mentioned, so I stood just outside the door and listened.  
  
"Why the hell would you want to smile at Malfoy?" Ron demanded angrily.  
  
"Ron, calm down. It's no big deal," Harry said, trying to placate him.  
  
"No big deal? Are you nuts? This is Malfoy we're talking about here. For all we know, this is just some plot to get you to You Know Who and now he's in my house, sleeping in the room next to you," Ron said, his anger gaining momentum.  
  
I had heard enough. I pushed open the door and strode into the room, startling them both.  
  
"I know you don't trust me, Weasley and I don't blame you for that. I've done some pretty terrible things over the years but for what it's worth, I'm sorry."  
  
Ron snorted at my apology but I continued regardless.  
  
"I would never turn Harry over to Voldemort. I want nothing to do with Voldemort or the Death Eaters. I promise you, I'm not going to do anything to hurt Harry," I pleaded with Ron with desperate eyes. I wanted him to believe me. I knew Harry believed me and suddenly I wanted to be accepted by these people. I wanted to be a part of Harry's inner circle of friends.  
  
Ron stared at me through narrowed eyes for a few long minutes. Apparently he must have approved of what he saw because he nodded shortly and turned to Harry.  
  
"Quidditch?" he asked. Harry nodded and they both looked questioningly at me. I nodded, thrilled to be included in the game. Ron called some friends over to make up two full teams and we grabbed our brooms and went outside.  
  
We played out on a field near the Weasley's house – all of the Weasley children against Harry, Hermione, Me, Seamus, Dean, Lavender and Parvati.  
  
Hermione played the keeper position and she was actually pretty good at it, much to my surprise. Harry, naturally was seeker, even I wasn't going to dispute that. Seamus and Dean were natural beaters, and that left Lavender, Parvati and I as the chasers.  
  
None of us thought we had a chance against the formidable Weasley team, all of whom had been playing since they were small. Fred and George were beaters, Charlie was seeker, Percy was keeper and Ron, Ginny and Bill were chasers.  
  
It was a great game. We were beaten, even though Harry did catch the snitch, practically out of Charlie's hand. Ron, Ginny and Bill were just too cohesive a team of chasers.  
  
Ron even shook my hand after the game. I stared up at him in shock, my hand clasped in his.  
  
"I'm going to be watching you," he murmured softly, so no one else could hear. I nodded, still in shock at Ron's civility.  
  
He let go of my hand and ran over to sling his arm around Hermione and congratulate her on a great game. I watched the easy way he kissed her and teased her about her keeper skills, or lack there of.  
  
I felt lonely, watching the two of them. I realised I was jealous of Hermione. Oh, not that I wanted Ron! God forbid! But I realised that I wanted a boyfriend of my own. Someone I could be that comfortable and affectionate with, who would love me just the way I am.  
  
Harry caught my eye and we stared into each others eyes before the moment was broken by Mrs Weasley calling us all in for lunch.  
  
-TBC- 


	13. Dracon Potter's Journal - Conclusion

Draco Potter's Journal –  
  
During my four days with the Weasley's, Harry and I managed to find some time alone to talk. Not that we talked about anything of consequence, really. I mean, what was I going to say? Hey Harry, be thankful your parents are dead because mine are complete bastards? Somehow I don't think that would have gone down well.  
  
Besides, I doubt Harry's father would have been anything like mine. From what I've heard James Potter was a kind and caring person who adored his son.  
  
At least my mum and I have had a chance to mend our relationship. I know it wasn't her fault, what happened. She was as powerless as I to stop it.  
  
Harry and I became friends after that. Well, kind of friends. Let's just say, as friendly as we could be considering we had spent the last five years of our lives insulting each other.  
  
Old habits die hard and it took us a while to get out of the habit of tagging an insult onto the end of anything we said to the other.  
  
It wasn't until that fateful Potions lesson in which I baited Snape to the point of giving us both detentions, that Harry made his feelings clear. Lord knows I was never going to do it first and I think Harry knew that too.  
  
I'm nearing the end of this Journal and surprisingly I do feel better about a lot of things. At least I can get a good night's sleep without nightmares disturbing it. I think Harry is grateful for that as well, since I don't kick him in my sleep anymore!  
  
I don't think I'll ever be able to forget what my father did to me, but I think I might just be able to put it behind me and move on. He is dead and he can't hurt me anymore unless I allow his ghost to interfere in my relationship with Harry.  
  
I've almost decided that I'm going to give this book to Harry for our anniversary in a few weeks time. He has been so patient and uncomplaining as I pour my soul out onto these pages and not to him. He needs to know the truth and I need to know that he knows the truth. There will be no more secrets between us.  
  
Harry, I adore you. I would follow you to the ends of the earth and back. Especially back.  
  
~ Godric's Hollow ~  
  
Harry closed the journal with a sigh and stared into space. He always felt a sense of loss whenever he finished a good book and the personal nature of this book made that loss all the greater.  
  
Harry turned it all over in his mind. So much about Draco made sense now. Well, much about Draco was still an enigma, even after so many years together. At least now he could understand where Draco was coming from.  
  
Harry felt a burst of rage surge through him as he thought of what Lucius had done to his son. His hands clenched around the journal. It was a good thing he was already dead or Harry would have killed him with his bare hands.  
  
Harry forced himself to relax as he heard Draco's key in the lock. He put the journal down on the table beside him.  
  
"Hey Harry," Draco said excitedly as he entered the living room. "Look at these great pants I got at half price."  
  
Draco pulled out a pair of dark blue pants from a shopping bag and held them in front of him for Harry to admire. "They make my arse look so good!"  
  
Harry laughed, it was just like Draco to say something like that.  
  
"I'll go put them on and show you," Draco said, turning towards the stairs but Harry pulled him back down onto his lap.  
  
"You know, you only had to ask," Draco smiled up at him with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
"I finished the journal," Harry said softly, watching Draco's face carefully.  
  
"Oh?" Draco said casually, his eyes firmly on the buttons to Harry's shirt that he was fiddling with. He slipped two fingers between the buttons and Harry gasped as his cold fingers touched bare skin.  
  
Harry gently but firmly grasped Draco's chin and directed his face up until he was staring into his silvery grey eyes. Harry was startled to see his husband's eyes filled with unshed tears.  
  
"Oh honey, what's wrong?" Harry asked, immediately concerned.  
  
A lone tear trickled over and slid down Draco's cheek.  
  
"You know it all now," he managed to say before the tears he was trying valiantly to hold in spilled over and Draco buried his face in Harry's neck.  
  
Harry rubbed Draco's back supportively. This was another example of how Draco's behaviour was unpredictable, no matter how much Harry knew about him.  
  
"Sweetie?" Harry asked tentatively, trying to ignore the growing wetness on his neck. "I don't understand."  
  
"You know everything now. No more secrets. There is not a single thing about me that you do not know and I have nothing left of me," Draco sobbed.  
  
"Uh," Harry started to speak but then stopped. He was at a loss to know how to deal with Draco like this. The blonde wasn't making any sense. "Honey, this is a good thing, you know."  
  
Draco sniffed and Harry took that as a sign to continue.  
  
"We are so much closer now," he said quietly as he buried one hand in Draco's hair. He kissed the Slytherin's head. "If you like, you could ask me things you'd like to know about my life."  
  
Draco turned his head so it was resting on Harry's shoulder and gave the suggestion some thought. His fingers were still threaded through Harry's shirt between the buttons. He played idly with the material as he thought of what he'd like to know about Harry that he didn't already know.  
  
"This is hard. I don't know what to ask you because I can't think of anything about you that I don't know," Draco complained.  
  
"Okay, how about I tell you some things I don't think you know and if you think of a question you can ask me," Harry suggested.  
  
"Okay," Draco said softly.  
  
"Um…well…okay, here's something no one knows, not even Ron and Hermione. In our fifth year, I…I guess you could say I went through a stage where I experimented. I know a lot of kids experiment in their teenage years but I didn't experiment with drugs or alcohol or anything. I experimented with dark magic," Harry paused for the inevitable gasp from Draco before continuing.  
  
"I got a note from Hagrid for the restricted section and I spent at least an hour a day in there, learning all I could. Late some nights, I would creep a little way into the Forbidden Forest where Dumbledore couldn't trace the dark magic and cast spells until they were perfect," Harry laughed hollowly. "I only wish I had put the same effort into my school work that year. I only just scraped by in the O.W.L's."  
  
"Anyway, not long after I'd mastered Imperius and Crucio I was summoned to Dumbledore's office. Apparently the centaurs had spoken to Hagrid and he had spoken to Dumbledore and he pieced together what was happening. He let me know that he knew what I was doing without lecturing me and he made me see that although I felt like I was in control, I was actually addicted to dark magic. It became like a drug to me and I needed a bigger fix each time. Luckily Dumbledore found out in time because the next step would have been the killing curse," Harry sighed into Draco's hair and kissed his head again.  
  
"That summer I went into a kind of dark magic detox program at Hogwarts. The only saving grace was that I didn't have to face the Dursley's that summer. Actually I think Dumbledore was afraid that if he sent me back there I might curse them. It was a long, hard summer. I suffered withdrawal symptoms, the likes of which I won't bore you with now. Suffice to say, it was difficult but Dumbledore, Hagrid and Madam Pomfrey got me through it. I spent the last two weeks of the summer with the Weasley's and then you came for the last four days. You were like a bright, shining angel. You made me realise what could be."  
  
Harry's arms tightened around Draco. "I don't think I ever told you this but you gave me the strength to get through it and to stay away from dark magic."  
  
Draco smiled and reached up to draw Harry's face towards his. Their lips met in a soft kiss. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment as Harry disentangled his hand from Draco's hair and cupped his hand around Draco's cheek, gently caressing it.  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell me about this?" Draco asked quietly, his hand smoothing Harry's shirt against his chest.  
  
"I don't know. I didn't want to burden you with it. I mean, after we got together we were having such a great time, which really helped and I was able to put it behind me. I haven't really thought about it until now," Harry explained, just as quietly. Both of them were intent on savouring this special moment of togetherness.  
  
"I'm glad I was able to give you strength, like you give me strength," Draco said, smiling at his husband.  
  
They kissed again and Draco snuggled down against Harry, resuming his position with his head resting on Harry's shoulder and his hand slipped inside Harry's shirt. Harry still had his arm around Draco and he ran his other hand up Draco's back and buried it in his hair again. They seemed to almost sink into each other as they sat silently together.  
  
No words were needed.  
  
No words could ever express the depth of feeling between them.  
  
-TBC-  
  
A.N. If you're reading this and you haven't read You Are Everything I Never Knew I Always Wanted, then go read that if you want to know what happened in that 'fateful Potions lesson'. All is revealed there about their seventh year of school. 


	14. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

~ Godric's Hollow ~  
  
Harry heard Draco humming a catchy tune. Harry was sure he'd heard it before, he just couldn't place it. He quietly got up, placed the book he'd been reading back on the bookshelf and crept up to the kitchen door. Draco was cooking dinner (Ron and Hermione were coming to dinner) and he started softly singing the song.  
  
"I'm gonna take this moment, and make it last forever. I'm gonna give my heart away and pray we stay together," Draco sang lightly.  
  
Harry pushed open the door to the kitchen, walked in and leant against the bench, crossing his arms and smirked at Draco.  
  
"Nice song. Haven't I heard it somewhere before?" he asked amused to see Draco using a spatula as a microphone.  
  
"It's Evergreen," he said, as if Harry should already know this. "You know, by Will Young. I've only been playing the CD everyday this week."  
  
"Oh, that guy who won that TV show?" Harry asked, showing his ignorance.  
  
"Yes. He's gay, you know. Seriously hot too," Draco informed him.  
  
"Really?" Harry asked with a grin. "Should I be worried, my dragon?"  
  
Draco laughed delightedly. "Oh please! Like I'd leave you for a muggle pop star! Hmmm, he does have a great arse though!"  
  
Harry swept his husband into his arms and planted wet kisses all over his face.  
  
"You are so silly sometimes, but I love you," Harry said, laughing along with Draco.  
  
Later that evening…  
  
"Hi Hermione, Ron. I'm glad you could make it," Harry said as he kissed Hermione on the cheek and shook Ron's hand. He ushered them inside the house and took their coats from them.  
  
"Hi guys," Draco called from the kitchen. Hermione wandered through the hall to greet him.  
  
"Draco, why are you cooking the muggle way?" she asked, looking amazed. Hermione sat down at the already set table, careful not disturb Draco's table setting.  
  
"It's very soothing," Draco explained with a smile as he deftly sliced some strawberries. "Dinner's almost ready. I'm just finishing off the dessert now."  
  
"Thanks Ron, you didn't have to do that," Harry was saying as he and Ron entered the kitchen.  
  
"Ron brought a bottle of wine to go with dinner," Harry informed Draco as he rummaged through a drawer for a bottle opener.  
  
"Thanks Ron, that's very nice of you. I hope it's white wine because we're having fish," Draco said, smiling at his former enemy.  
  
"It is. Hey Harry, I heard there's going to be an opening on the Puddlemere United team soon but for a Chaser. Do you ever regret not joining them when you had the chance after we graduated?" Ron asked as he sat down at the table beside his wife.  
  
"Nah, I love teaching at Hogwarts," Harry said as he wrapped his arms around his husband from behind and kissed his cheek. "Besides, it means I get to see my gorgeous husband every single day, rather than travelling around with the team for months on end."  
  
Draco beamed as Harry ruffled his hair and then poured the wine. Draco served the meal and the four of them sat down together.  
  
"This is delicious," Hermione enthused.  
  
"Thanks," Draco said happily.  
  
"So have either of you given any thought to what we were talking about at your anniversary party?" Hermione asked.  
  
"What were we talking about?" Harry asked, confusion wrinkling his brow. Draco looked mutinous but remained silent.  
  
"You remember, Harry," Hermione said in her annoying Hermione way. "That article about gay people having kids."  
  
"Drop it, Mione," Draco said warningly.  
  
"Why Draco? Give me one good reason," she challenged him as Ron and Harry looked on worriedly.  
  
"We can't have a child, I'm still a goddamn child myself!" Draco exclaimed angrily.  
  
"Draco-" Hermione started to say.  
  
"If you want a child so badly, you have one!" Draco retorted.  
  
"Draco, you're being rude," Harry whispered in Draco's ear.  
  
"I'm being rude? She's the one trying to force us into something we're not ready for!" Draco protested loudly.  
  
Hermione looked upset. "I'm sorry Draco. I didn't mean-"  
  
"It's okay, Hermione," Harry said quietly.  
  
"No it's not okay," Draco said, pushing back his chair and stalking out of the room.  
  
"I'm sorry guys," Harry said as he got up to follow Draco into the living room.  
  
  
  
Harry stared at Draco's back as the blonde man stared blankly out the window.  
  
"You would be a wonderful father," Harry said simply.  
  
"How the fuck do you know?" came the harsh reply.  
  
"I know because I know how your father treated you and I know how he treated your mother. You don't treat me like that. You are kind and gentle and loving towards me, quite unlike the sadistic way your father treated your mother. You look after me when I'm sick and you hold me after a nightmare and kiss away my tears. You have so much love to give, why not share that love with another person?" Harry said ardently.  
  
"I love you and I trust you," Harry continued, "You believe me when I say that don't you?"  
  
Draco nodded.  
  
"Then why won't you believe me when I say you will be a great dad?" Harry asked.  
  
"Because…because I'm afraid," Draco almost whispered.  
  
Harry gathered his husband in his arms. Draco sank back into Harry's arms gratefully.  
  
"What are you afraid of, love?" Harry asked softly in his ear.  
  
"I'm afraid that one day I might hurt you and the child. How do we know that I won't turn into my father?" Draco said.  
  
"If you were going to turn into your father, I think you would have done it by now, don't you?" Harry replied reasonably. "You've had enough opportunities to hurt me if you really wanted to and you didn't."  
  
"You've already given me so much time but do you think you could give me a little bit more?" Draco asked softly.  
  
"Of course!" Harry exclaimed. "I don't want to push you into anything you don't feel ready for and Hermione doesn't either."  
  
"I know," Draco said dolefully. "I should go apologise to her."  
  
Harry and Draco both returned to the table and sat down.  
  
"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Hermione," Draco said contritely, offering Ron and Hermione a small, tight smile.  
  
"No, I'm sorry Draco. I won't mention it again," Hermione said kindly.  
  
The four of them settled down into a free and easy conversation that purposely steered clear of any serious issues.  
  
"Hey, did you hear that Charlie asked Justin to move in with him?" Ron asked.  
  
"What did Justin say?" Draco asked, always eager for gossip.  
  
"He said he'd have to think about it. Charlie was shattered. I think Justin's just scared that it's all moving too fast," Ron said, inadvertently reminding Draco that he wasn't the only one in the world with problems.  
  
"They'll work it out though," Hermione, the voice of reason said, "They adore each other."  
  
Draco reached out under the table and grasped Harry's hand. He squeezed gently and Harry smiled at him. He got the message – they would work this out, just as they had worked out everything else.  
  
After all, they adored each other.  
  
~TBC~ 


	15. Magic United

~ Godric's Hollow ~  
  
Harry smiled as Pig sailed though the open window in the kitchen. It was a beautiful summery day in mid August. There were only a few weeks left of the summer holidays and Harry and Draco had been enjoying every minute of it.  
  
Harry took the folded parchment from Pig's leg and the tiny owl flew over to Hedwig's cage for some water and an owl treat. Harry unfolded the letter and read it with increasing excitement.  
  
"Drac! Hey, Draco! Come in here quickly," Harry yelled.  
  
Draco had been taking a shower and he ran into the room dressed only in a towel, dripping over the floor.  
  
"What's wrong? What's happened?" he asked frantically.  
  
Harry glanced up from the letter and stared. God, my husband is sexy, he thought with a grin.  
  
"Nothing's wrong. I just got this letter from Ron," Harry said, handing over the letter.  
  
Draco took the parchment and read it silently as it steadily grew soggy.  
  
To the Potters,  
  
  
  
We, the seven Weasley's, challenge you and five players of your choice to a Quidditch match on the field near the Burrow this Saturday at 10am.  
  
  
  
Owl back your acceptance asap.  
  
  
  
Ron.  
  
Draco grinned as widely as Harry, "I've really missed Quidditch."  
  
"Me too," Harry said as he scribbled a note accepting the challenge which he attached to Pig's leg and sent off straight away. "We really should play Quidditch at Hogwarts more often."  
  
Draco's face dropped suddenly.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, his mood dropping too.  
  
"If we're on the same team, who's going to be the seeker? And what position with the other one play?" Draco asked as he removed the towel from around his waist so he could dry himself off.  
  
Harry watched, mesmerised, as Draco stood naked in the middle of the kitchen and rubbed the fluffy white towel over his body.  
  
"Harry?" Draco asked, looking up at his husband when he didn't answer. Draco wrapped the towel around his waist again and started making them both a cup of coffee.  
  
"Huh?" Harry said, mentally shaking himself.  
  
"Which one of us is going to be seeker? And who else will be on our team? Oooh and what will we wear? We could have a team uniform," Draco said excitedly as he spoon coffee and then sugar into two mugs.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes indulgently. "You can be seeker."  
  
"No. You be seeker. You're the best seeker ever. Youngest in a century," Draco reminded him proudly as he poured hot water into the mugs. He knew how much playing seeker meant to Harry.  
  
"But what would you play?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
"Chaser maybe. It doesn't really worry me. What does worry me is that the game is in five days and we currently have only two people on our team," Draco said as he poured milk into the mugs. He handed one to Harry and took his own to the kitchen table. They both sat down, deep in thought.  
  
"Sirius!" Harry suddenly exclaimed.  
  
Draco nearly jumped out of his skin, "Holy fuck, Harry, you scared the crap out of me."  
  
"Sorry, but Sirius used to play chaser with my dad when they was at Hogwarts," Harry explained.  
  
"Okay, so we've got a chaser and a seeker and me," Draco said wryly.  
  
They both thought for a moment.  
  
"How about Blaise?" Draco asked cautiously, knowing his Slytherin friend might not be welcome in such a Gryffindor-heavy group.  
  
"He played chaser, didn't he?" Harry said, trying to remember back to their school days of intensely fierce Quidditch matches.  
  
"He's pretty good, plus the Zambini's have never had a dark side. The only reason he's not a Hufflepuff is because he's politically ambitious," Draco explained with a smile. "He and I were quite friendly at school. Even if he doesn't play in the game, I should owl him anyway."  
  
"If you think he'd be good, and he'd fit into the group, then he's in," Harry said warmly.  
  
"Hang on," Draco said, getting up. "Let me get a piece of paper to keep track of all this."  
  
He pulled the shopping list off the fridge, turned it over and grabbing a pencil, sat down again. He wrote down all the positions and listed the names of those already on the team.  
  
Seeker Harry Potter  
  
Keeper  
  
Chaser Sirius Black  
  
Chaser Draco Potter  
  
Chaser Blaise Zambini  
  
Beater  
  
Beater  
  
  
  
"You've decided to play chaser, have you?" Harry asked, pointing to Draco's name on the page.  
  
"Well, I got enough practice chasing you," Draco teased with a smile.  
  
"You didn't have to chase very far though, did you," Harry said, returning the smile, reminding Draco that he had never played hard to get. Quite the opposite in fact.  
  
Draco leaned over and kissed Harry.  
  
"Who the fuck are we going to put up against Fred and George?" Harry asked wonderingly. "They are so good, I don't think we can find better beaters."  
  
"Let's worry about the keeper first," Draco suggested.  
  
"It has to be Oliver Wood," Harry said decisively.  
  
"You're right," Draco said, grudgingly agreeing that the Scot was the best keeper they could get for their team.  
  
"Okay, now the beaters," Harry said. They both sat in silence for a while.  
  
"I know!" Draco suddenly exclaimed.  
  
"Who?" Harry asked eagerly.  
  
"We could call the team 'Magic United'," Draco said, doodling on the piece of paper he'd written the team on. "You know, because we are united, dark and light magic and we have a mixture of Slytherins and Gryffindors on the team."  
  
"What are you drawing?" Harry asked, pulling the piece of paper towards him.  
  
"Is this the design for a team uniform?" Harry asked grinning knowingly at his husband.  
  
Draco sheepishly nodded but then launched into an explanation. "See the top and pants would be green and these bits would be silver."  
  
"You know, this is pretty similar to the Slytherin uniforms," Harry said, which he thought was a pretty astute observation.  
  
"Duh!" Draco said mockingly. "You know the Weasley's are going to wear their Gryffindor uniforms. They all played on the house team and they probably still have the uniforms. Why shouldn't we wear green and silver? Besides, you look great in green."  
  
"Oh yeah, I forgot – it brings out my eyes," Harry muttered sarcastically.  
  
"So we still need two beaters," Draco said, ignoring Harry.  
  
"Uh, how about Justin and Seamus," Harry suggested, having a flash of inspiration.  
  
"Sure, they were good at Hogwarts," Draco agreed, adding a few finishing touches to his design.  
  
"Tassels?" Harry asked, looking appalled.  
  
"Okay, so maybe I went a bit too far," Draco admitted, erasing the tassels.  
  
The final team looked like this:  
  
Seeker Harry Potter  
  
Keeper Oliver Wood  
  
Chaser Sirius Black  
  
Chaser Draco Potter  
  
Chaser Blaise Zambini  
  
Beater Seamus Finnigan  
  
Beater Justin Finch-Fletchley  
  
"I'll owl the former Gryffindors, you owl the former Slytherin," Harry said, getting up to get some parchment and two quills.  
  
~TBC~  
  
A.N. In the movie, I know it said that James Potter played seeker for Gryffindor but JKR said in an interview, before the movie came out, that James was a chaser, so that's what I'm going with. I was so annoyed that they changed it in the movie. 


	16. Happy Dragon

~ The Field Near Godric's Hollow ~  
  
"But Harry, we're tired. Can't we have a break now?" Seamus whined like a pathetic child. Sirius looked amused at the younger man's theatrics.  
  
"Don't you want to beat the Weasley's?" Harry asked him, and the rest of the Quidditch team as they gathered around.  
  
"The Weasley's have been playing together every summer for at least a decade. They are a very cohesive team. They can practically read each others minds. We have never played together before so we are at a distinct disadvantage," Draco said patiently.  
  
"I know that, but we've been here for five hours now," Seamus said, looking to the rest of the team for support.  
  
"How about we break for lunch and then keep going for another few hours?" Justin suggested diplomatically. The others nodded their head enthusiastically.  
  
"Let's go back to our place and get that barbeque going," Harry said, grinning at his friends.  
  
The seven of them walked back to Harry and Draco's place with their brooms over their shoulders, all in high spirits, despite the gruelling training schedule Harry and Draco had devised.  
  
Draco slipped his free hand into Harry's and smiled up at his husband. "Did I ever thank you for remembering to owl Justin?"  
  
"No," Harry said with a grin. Only the day before Harry had suddenly realised that while he had owled the former Gryffindors and Draco had owled the former Slytherin – no one had owled the former Hufflepuff. Justin had been thrilled to be included in the team and was turning out to be the peacekeeper of the team.  
  
"You can thank me tonight, when the team leaves," Harry said with a suggestive wink. Draco grinned happily.  
  
Back at Harry and Draco's house, Harry and Sirius started the barbeque while Draco and Justin passed food outside to Dean, Seamus and Blaise. The two former Gryffindors and the former Slytherin were engaged in a spirited discussion about the Quidditch World Cup, which was being held in France later that month.  
  
"Justin," Draco said softly, pulling him back into the kitchen as Dean, Seamus and Blaise drifted back to the picnic table near the barbeque.  
  
"Look, tell me if this is none of my business, but I heard that things weren't good between you and Charlie and I was wondering if you were okay," Draco said hesitantly. He and Justin had never been friends, but after spending more time with him this week, Draco had come to like the quietly spoken man who was obviously deeply in love with Charlie Weasley.  
  
Justin looked a bit surprised by the concern evident in Draco's tone but forced a smile. "I'm fine, really."  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Draco asked, leaning back against the kitchen bench.  
  
"I don't know. I just feel like everything's moving so fast, and…" Justin seemed a bit embarrassed to say the last bit.  
  
"And?" Draco prompted gently.  
  
"And…I guess I'm kind of old fashioned. I just never imagined myself living with someone unless we were married first but I don't think Charlie wants that sort of commitment," Justin explained. He seemed to sag as the conversation progressed. Like he was holding it all together, but with a few gentle questions Draco had pulled his carefully constructed barriers down.  
  
Draco carefully led Justin to the kitchen table and they sat down opposite each other.  
  
"Have you asked him?" Draco asked.  
  
"What?" Justin asked, looking confused.  
  
"Have you asked Charlie what he wants?" Draco clarified. "How do you know what he does or doesn't want unless you ask him?"  
  
"I can't face him yet," Justin said, staring down at the table. He was tracing the wood grain patterns on the table with his finger.  
  
"You do realise he's the seeker of the Weasley team, don't you?" Draco asked incredulously. "You're going to see him on Saturday whether you want to or not."  
  
"I know," moaned Justin. He held his golden blond head in his hands and sighed.  
  
"You know, living with someone is a pretty big commitment too," Draco pointed out gently. "I'd say the chances are that Charlie would jump at the chance to marry you, if he knew that was what you wanted. Ironically enough, I think he probably didn't want to rush you by proposing."  
  
Justin looked thoughtful. "Maybe…"  
  
"I might as well put in my two knuts worth, since I've come so far. I think you should talk to him, tonight if possible. Don't leave your first meeting with him since this happened until Saturday. I think you'll find that Charlie will love you no matter what you want to do. He will wait for you to be ready. Trust me on this one," Draco said with an air of authority. Of course, he knew what he was talking about. Harry was currently waiting for him to be ready for the next step in their own relationship.  
  
"You're right. Do you mind if I go and see him now?" Justin asked apprehensively.  
  
"No, of course not. Go. Just don't tell him any of our strategies!" Draco said with a laugh as he waved the former Hufflepuff out the front door.  
  
A few moments later, Draco joined the group in the garden with a smile on his face. Harry glanced over at him, a question in his eyes but Draco just smiled mysteriously.  
  
"Where's Justin?" Harry said softly in Draco's ear as he sat down beside his husband.  
  
"He went to talk to Charlie," Draco replied, equally softly. Harry raised his eyebrows.  
  
"I know, I know," Draco said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I said I wasn't going to interfere but he looked so miserable and he and Charlie are so perfect together that I just couldn't stand back and watch them drift apart."  
  
"You are just too sweet," Harry said and then planted a warm kiss on Draco's lips.  
  
"No, no Dean. You've got it all wrong." Seamus was protesting loudly. "Ireland will reign supreme, just as they did back when we were in fourth year."  
  
"Seamus," Dean said condescendingly. "You're the one who's got it wrong. Ireland were knocked out in the semi-finals."  
  
"Oh yeah," Seamus said sheepishly as the others laughed at him.  
  
"Besides, we all know that England will kick ass anyway," Blaise said with a grin. Sirius raised his glass with a cheer and Blaise clinked his own against it.  
  
"So Blaise, what are you doing now?" Harry asked him with a friendly smile.  
  
"I work at the Ministry of Magic. In the Department of Magical Catastrophes," replied Blaise.  
  
"Isn't that the department Fudge worked in before he was Minister of Magic?" Sirius asked curiously.  
  
"Yes. Actually, not many people know this, but quite a few of the most recent Ministers of Magic have come from the Department of Magical Catastrophes," Blaise commented lightly, confirming Draco's assertion that Blaise's ambitions lay in the political arena, not in world domination.  
  
All in all, it was a lovely day. Friends together – playing Quidditch, enjoying a meal together. Ended with a glorious session of love making.  
  
Draco was indeed a happy dragon that night.  
  
-TBC 


	17. Paternal Instincts

~ The Field Near The Burrow ~  
  
It was a glowing Justin that joined the team the next day before the big game. The team were assembled in a tent Sirius had transfigured from a bush for them to change into their team uniforms in.  
  
"I take it things went well yesterday," Draco said with a grin.  
  
"Oh yes," Justin practically gushed. "Charlie and I are engaged!"  
  
"Congratulations!" Draco said warmly, throwing his arms around the startled Hufflepuff. The others joined in congratulating the ecstatic young man.  
  
Outside, the Weasley's had conjured the Quaffle hoops and a stand for the spectators to sit on. Hermione and Molly Weasley were already seated there. Arthur was chatting to Remus Lupin, who had agreed to referee the match.  
  
The Weasley team were already flying up above the pitch, all dressed just as Draco had predicted – in their Gryffindor team uniforms.  
  
Dean was peaking out through the door to the tent.  
  
"Man, Ginny looks hot in her Quidditch gear," he said with a groan.  
  
Sirius and Harry exchanged concerned glances.  
  
"You are going to be okay, playing against your wife, aren't you?" Harry asked.  
  
"And Justin, playing against Charlie," Draco interjected.  
  
"And Seamus, playing against Bill," Seamus said, watching everyone with a sly grin.  
  
"What?" Harry gasped. Dean looked stunned.  
  
"You and Bill?" Draco asked in amazement as Sirius started laughing.  
  
"Nah, I was just kidding," Seamus said, with his trademark grin.  
  
The others sighed in relief and returned to their game preparations. All except Draco. His gaze stayed with the fun-loving Irishman. He noticed the slight droop in his expression as the others directed their attention elsewhere.  
  
"Seamus," Draco said, almost silently.  
  
Seamus glanced at Draco who smiled sympathetically. Seamus gravitated towards Draco.  
  
"You like Bill?" Draco asked, as quietly as possible.  
  
"Uh huh," Seamus replied. For once he was quiet and serious at the same time.  
  
"How long have you felt this way?" Draco asked, fiddling with his uniform.  
  
"A few months now," Seamus said with a sigh.  
  
"Have you asked him out?"  
  
"Nah. I thought I might after the game but I'm not sure. Normally I'd just go over and ask someone out but with Bill. I don't know…I just don't want to mess things up," Seamus sounded so pathetically endearing that Draco couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Well, actually, I would suggest you have a chat to Hermione about it. She is totally entrenched in the Weasley family now that she's married into it, so she'd probably know more about Bill than anyone else"  
  
"You're right," Seamus agreed. He seemed a bit brighter and he turned the Finnigan charm back on as Dean called him over to go over their strategy as the team's beaters.  
  
Draco turned to find Harry staring at him with an amused grin.  
  
"What?" Draco asked, sounding defensive.  
  
"You're just not going to be happy until every single Weasley is married, are you," Harry said, pulling his husband into his arms.  
  
"I really don't know what's gotten into me lately," Draco said, wrapping his arms around Harry's shoulders.  
  
"I think I know," Harry said cautiously.  
  
Draco pulled back from the hug so he could see into his husband's gorgeous green eyes.  
  
"What?" Draco didn't like the sound of Harry's tone. Harry obviously wasn't sure that Draco would like what he had to say.  
  
"I think it's your paternal instinct kicking into gear," Harry said softly, his eyes searching Draco's.  
  
Draco mulled over Harry's suggestion. It certainly had some merit but he didn't have time to dwell on it now. They had a match to win!  
  
Draco kissed Harry lightly and pulled away. "Alright, team. Are we ready?"  
  
"Yes," they all chorused in response to Draco's question.  
  
"Alright, let's go."  
  
The team followed Draco, each clutching their brooms, out of the tent. The sight of the seven team members in silver and green Quidditch robes stopped the Weasley team dead in their tracks.  
  
Draco strode out into the middle of the pitch, the team striding behind him.  
  
Ron landed gracefully on the pitch in front of them. "What the fuck are you wearing? You look like bloody Slytherins."  
  
"That's the bloody point, Weasley," Draco drawled icily.  
  
Ron looked stunned at Draco's use of his surname and the cold tone. Draco smirked at his obvious confusion.  
  
By now, the rest of the Weasley's had landed and were staring at Draco like he had grown horns. Draco and Harry were silently cheering. They knew this match would be a tough one to win. As Draco had said during one of their practices, the Weasley team had been playing together for years and they all knew everything there was to know about Quidditch and the associated strategies.  
  
So therefore, one of Harry and Draco's strategies was to try to confuse the Weasley's so much that they were distracted from the game. One such strategy was to make them believe that Draco had reverted back to his behaviour from their first four years of school. And that was only the first part of the plan…  
  
"What's going on, Harry?" Ron asked, his brow wrinkled in confusion.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, Weasley," Harry said coldly and his team kicked off the ground and took to the sky.  
  
The Weasley's glanced worriedly at each other before kicking off the ground.  
  
-TBC 


	18. The Game And A Party

~ The Field Near The Burrow ~  
  
The two teams faced each other, high above the rudimentary Quidditch pitch. Harry and Draco's entire team wore cold masks while the Weasley team were still looking bewildered.  
  
Remus was on the ground below them with the balls. He released the bludgers and they shot off into the sky at a tremendous speed. The snitch was released next and buzzed around Harry's head, then Charlie Weasley's before flicking out of sight. Finally, Remus threw up the Quaffle and the game began.  
  
Harry rose up above the fast-paced game and watched his husband for a second. Draco, Sirius and Blaise were working well together as they passed the Quaffle between them and darted around the Weasley's who blocked their path. All their training paid off as Blaise scored the first goal of the game within the first five minutes.  
  
Ron was starting to look pissed off as he muttered orders to the rest of his team.  
  
Draco flew past Harry and they high-fived, grinning at each other. They were off to a good start.  
  
Harry glanced over at Dean, guarding the other goal hoops. Oliver hadn't been able to make it to their amateur game, he'd been too busy playing professional Quidditch but Dean was a good replacement.  
  
Ginny was now in possession of the Quaffle and she was racing down the pitch towards the Weasley goal hoops. Justin smashed a bludger in her direction but she deftly ducked beneath it and threw the Quaffle to Percy. Percy, Bill and Ginny passed the Quaffle between them a few more times before scoring their first goal. Dean had missed blocking the ball by mere centimetres.  
  
Two hours later, the scores were 80 points to each team and there still hadn't been a sign of the snitch.  
  
Harry was beginning to think that the spells turning the field into a contained Quidditch pitch had failed and the snitch could be miles away by now. He was getting tired of circling around the pitch searching for a sparkle of gold.  
  
"You okay?" Draco asked with concern, flying up beside him as the game continued below him.  
  
"Yeah, I just wish that damn snitch would show up," Harry replied with a tired smile. "You were born to be a chaser."  
  
Draco smiled wryly. "I have thought, during this game, that perhaps Slytherin would have had more success against Gryffindor if I had played chaser and allowed someone with more talent to play seeker."  
  
Blaise, surrounded by Weasley's suddenly threw the Quaffle directly above himself and into Draco's hands. Draco darted off across the pitch towards Ron and the goal hoops.  
  
Harry chanced a glance over at Charlie and noticed him watching the chasers. Harry's gaze then fell towards the spectators who were currently eating lunch.  
  
It was then that he saw it. A flash of gold down to the left of the spectators. Harry's breath quickened and his pulse raced as the adrenaline flowed. His eyes flicked back to Charlie but the red-head was cheering his team on, shouting encouragements to his younger brothers and sister.  
  
Harry steeled himself and took off. Every single person there froze for a single moment as Harry suddenly sprung into action. Charlie was the first to shake it off and he flew after Harry.  
  
However, Harry had the element of surprise on his side and Charlie had reacted too slowly to be any real threat. Harry caught the snitch and held it up triumphantly as the rest of his team cheered.  
  
Both teams landed on the ground and Harry's teammates swept him up into a big group hug.  
  
Dean and Justin were the first to be pulled away by their significant others. Sirius then left to chat to Arthur and Remus. Seamus decided to speak to Hermione after Draco shot him a stern look. Blaise and Percy were in the midst of an animated discussion of Ministry business.  
  
Draco threw his arms around Harry. "Congratulations, love."  
  
"Congratulations to you too, Drac. You were incredible," Harry replied with a grin.  
  
"Do we have to go to the party tonight?" Draco asked in a whisper as he pressed his body firmly against Harry's.  
  
"Stop that!" Harry laughed. "We have to go the party. The Weasley's are expecting us and we are the winning team."  
  
"Fine, fine," Draco declared airily. "But we're not staying late. I am going to have my wicked way with you tonight!"  
  
Harry kissed Draco's neck before pulling away from the blonde. "Let's go mingle. We have to commiserate with the losers!"  
  
~The Burrow~  
  
Later that evening, the party at the Burrow was in full swing. It was held outside the back of the house and there was lively music playing.  
  
Harry glanced around at his friends and surrogate family. His heart was full of love and light. It really was too bad that they had to go back to Hogwarts in a week.  
  
Harry's eyes automatically searched for his husband. He relaxed as he found the blonde sitting next to Hermione, engaged in what appeared to be a very serious conversation.  
  
As Harry stood by the bar, he watched the pair of them carefully. Hermione was gesturing emphatically while Draco looked unsure. He shook his head as he said something to Hermione and then held his head in his hands. Hermione reached over and rubbed his forearm sympathetically as she said something to him.  
  
Harry raised his beer bottle to his lips and drank some. He was a bit worried about what the two of them were talking about but he hoped that Draco would tell him about it later.  
  
Draco must have felt his eyes on him because he suddenly glanced over at Harry and caught his eye. They stared at each other for a moment before Draco returned to his conversation with Hermione.  
  
-TBC 


	19. Maybe Baby

~ Godric's Hollow ~  
  
The morning after their victory over the Weasley family team and the raucous party that followed, Harry and Draco were languishing in bed.  
  
Draco was curled up around his pillow dozing lightly while Harry lay beside him and watched him sleep. A soft smile played on Harry's lips as his eyes drank in the sight of his husband. Harry reached over and his fingers lightly caressed Draco's cheek. The blonde's eyelids fluttered slightly but he didn't open them.  
  
"Draco," Harry called softly, his hand wandering down Draco's neck to his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around Draco and snuggled closer to his husband.  
  
Draco stirred, his eyes opening sleepily as he glanced questioningly over at Harry.  
  
"What were you talking to Hermione about last night?" Harry asked quietly.  
  
Draco hesitated but eventually replied, "We were talking about parenthood. She and Ron are trying for a baby and we talked about that..and about you and me having a child."  
  
"Ron and Hermione are trying for a baby?" Harry asked incredulously. He grinned as he imagined a little red-headed baby.  
  
"Yeah, they're pretty excited about it but they don't want anyone else to know until they actually conceive," Draco explained. "The only reason she told me was because I brought up the subject with regard to us."  
  
Harry looked thoughtful as he remembered the apparent intensity of the conversation he had watched but not heard between Draco and Hermione.  
  
"I think we should do it," Draco announced suddenly.  
  
Harry looked startled. "Are you sure? Because you know it's okay if you're still not ready."  
  
"No, I'm ready," Draco said firmly, reaching out to pull Harry closer. "I'm actually getting quite excited about it. I want to have a family with you."  
  
Harry grinned at him. "I adore you Mr Potter."  
  
"I love you too," Draco replied, grinning back at him.  
  
*  
  
A few days later, Harry and Draco arrived home brimming with enthusiasm. They had been to the clinic which specialised in the procedure outlined in Witch Weekly.  
  
A woman would be impregnated with their combined sperm the following day and nine months later, they would be taking home their son or daughter. Of course they may need to repeat the procedure if the woman didn't fall pregnant the first time around but Harry and Draco refused to think any negative thoughts.  
  
As soon as they entered the house, Harry headed for Hedwig while Draco headed for the kitchen. While Harry owled their friends, Draco started preparing food for an impromptu get together.  
  
Ron and Hermione were the first to arrive.  
  
Hermione threw her arms around Draco while Ron shook Harry's hand and clapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"I'm so happy for you," Hermione cried. "I've got my fingers crossed that it works. I can't wait to see a little Harry/Draco running around."  
  
The four of them grinned at each other excitedly before moving into the kitchen. They were the only ones to know about the baby plans of the two couples.  
  
"Did you decide on the sex of the baby?" Hermione was asking as they sat down at the table with a bottle of wine and some nibbles.  
  
"No, we decided we wanted a surprise. We'll find out when they do the scan of course, but we didn't want to dictate what it would be," Harry said as he poured them all a glass of wine. Hermione politely refused the wine.  
  
"Something you want to tell us, Mione?" Draco asked with shameless curiosity.  
  
"Not yet, but I don't want to take any chances," she explained with a sheepish smile.  
  
"Wouldn't it be amazing if one of us had a girl and the other had a boy and they eventually got married," Ron said animatedly.  
  
"What if we had two girls or two boys and they got together?" Draco asked with a sly grin.  
  
"Well, that would be good too," Ron agreed with a smile.  
  
The afternoon passed in a haze of good-natured teasing and humorous anecdotes of past times.  
  
Later that night as Harry and Draco were preparing for bed, the enormity of what they had done sank in for Harry.  
  
He had been the one who had been calm and in favour of going ahead with the procedure all along but now, suddenly he was filled with doubts.  
  
He was in the middle of undressing when it hit him. He stood by their bed, clad only in his boxers and his unbuttoned shirt, and panicked.  
  
"Oh god, what have we done?" he moaned. Harry started pacing back and forth on his side of the room.  
  
Draco (who had already taken off his shirt) glanced up from unbuttoning his jeans, surprised. "What?"  
  
"What are we doing? Bringing another life into this world? How on earth are we going to handle this? You've just gotten your dream job, teaching Potions and I love my job teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. How on earth are we going to fit a child into our lives?" Harry asked, in a rush.  
  
Draco's expression softened as he realised that Harry was only now starting to realise the magnitude of what they were doing. He buttoned his jeans back up and walked over to pull his husband into his arms.  
  
"I know it's scary and it will be difficult at first to juggle everything, but we can do it. We'll have support at school. It will be fine," Draco said softly in Harry's ear. He pressed butterfly kisses all over Harry's face, causing Harry to smile lovingly at him.  
  
"Have I told you how sexy you look tonight?" Draco murmured against Harry's lips before kissing him.  
  
Harry pulled Draco tighter against him, revelling in the feel of his bare chest rubbing against Draco's.  
  
"We'd better make the most of these nine months," Harry said quietly as Draco's mouth moved down his jaw to his neck. "Once the baby comes, we won't have as much time or energy."  
  
"Mmm,' Draco agreed as he sucked Harry's neck into a satisfying love bite. He pushed Harry's shirt down over his shoulders onto the floor. He ran his hands lightly over Harry's arms and chest.  
  
Harry captured Draco's lips with his own again, as his fingers slipped between the waistband of Draco's jeans. He ran his fingers around the blonde's waist, pushing his hands further down to cup Draco's arse in his hands.  
  
They rubbed up against each other, but fell onto the bed in their enthusiasm. Draco stripped Harry of his boxer shorts but Harry found that his hands were trapped inside Draco's tight jeans that clung to every delectable curve.  
  
"I'm stuck," Harry said plaintively, reviving his patented 'sad puppy look'.  
  
Draco let out a long-suffering sigh and dealt with his own jeans. He kicked them off, along with his boxers and pulled Harry back against him.  
  
They moved slowly, savouring each and every sensation. Nibbling, licking, sucking, kissing, caressing, touching, biting, exploring every single inch of each other's bodies. All. Night. Long.  
  
TBC 


	20. It's That Time Of Year Again

~Godric's Hollow~

Harry glanced around the bedroom, scanning it for any items that he absolutely positively couldn't live without for the next ten months at Hogwarts.  His gaze fell on Draco, who was carefully folding a pair of trousers to put into his trunk.  Now there is something I can't live without, Harry thought with a grin.

Draco, feeling Harry's eyes on him, glanced up.  "What?"

"Nothing," Harry replied, his grin widening.

"Why haven't we heard anything yet?" Draco suddenly whined, clutching his trousers to his chest.

"It's been less than a week, sweetheart.  Give it time," Harry replied as he closed his trunk and locked it.

"But what if it didn't work?" Draco asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Then they would have called us.  Calm down and forget about it.  The doctors said it could take a couple of weeks before we can be certain that she's pregnant," Harry reminded him.  

"Yeah, I know.  I'm just anxious," Draco admitted quietly, staring down into his trunk.

Harry's heart swelled with love and he walked around the bed to pull his husband into his arms.  

"Everything will be fine," he whispered in Draco's ear.

The two young men held each other tightly for several long moments.  Harry pulled back and pressed a kiss on Draco's forehead.  

"Hurry up with your packing.  We have to leave soon," Harry said as he pulled out his wand to enchant his trunk to follow him down the stairs.

Draco watched him go, admiring the rear view of Harry, as always.  Draco sighed and hurriedly finished packing.  This year was going to go so slowly now that he was anxiously awaiting the birth of their child.  

~ Hogwarts, the Great Hall ~

Harry and Draco wandered into the Great Hall long before the students would arrive.  They were probably still sitting on the train eating sweets and chatting to each other.  It was customary for the teachers to gather in the Great Hall and catch up with each other as many of them travelled during the summer holidays and unless they were close friends they wouldn't see each other for the entire vacation.

They were greeted warmly by the teachers who were already there.  Ron and Hermione had yet to arrive.  Sirius waved but he was involved in an animated discussion with Dumbledore.  

"Harry, how was your summer?" McGonagall enquired, while Draco was accosted by Flitwick reminding him of the head of house meeting early the following morning.

Harry grinned as Draco groaned when he heard just how early the meeting was to be.  "I had a good summer.  We didn't go anywhere, but we had a nice, peaceful time.  How about you?  You were going away, weren't you?"

"Yes, I went to Paris to visit an old friend of mine.  It was lovely," McGonagall continued to describe her holiday in great detail.    
Harry nodded in all the correct places as he observed those around him.  Sirius was now arguing with Dumbledore but Harry could see it was one of the playful arguments that Dumbledore and Sirius liked to have, each trying to outwit the other.

"Harry!" Hermione squealed as she entered the room.  She ran over to him and threw her arms around the startled Defence teacher.  

"Hermione, how are you?" Harry asked, returning the hug while raising an eyebrow at a beaming Ron.

"I'm wonderful," Hermione declared, grinning at Harry as she let him go.  

Draco looked curiously over at the small group and giving his apologies to Flitwick, he walked over to the group.

"Draco!" Hermione squealed and enveloped him in a hug too.  

Draco hugged her back and whispered in her ear, "You're pregnant, aren't you."

Hermione pulled back, looking concerned.  "Yes.  I wasn't going to say anything until you heard from the clinic but I can't help smiling all the time."

"Congratulations, Mione," Draco said warmly, pulling her back in for another hug.  "I'm really happy for you."

"Congratulations, Ron," Harry said, shaking the beaming red-head's hand.  

~ Harry and Draco's bedroom ~

Draco stared into the bathroom mirror and frowned.  He was happy for Hermione and Ron.  Really, he was.  But he was also the tiniest bit jealous.  Okay, he was incredibly jealous.  He gripped the sink in front of him and glared at himself.  He was sick.  Sick.  Sick.  Sick.  How could he be jealous of his best friends?  They deserved this happiness.  But so do we, Draco whined.  

Harry was lying in bed waiting for Draco to join him.  The blonde was in the bathroom doing god knows what.  He'd been in there for hours, or so it seemed.  

Harry sighed as he stared up at the ceiling, his hands behind his head.  The sorting ceremony had been fun, as always.  The feast afterwards had been good too, especially since he'd been able to catch up with Sirius, Ron and Hermione (even though it had only been a few days since he'd seen them).

Hermione's news was wonderful.  Harry grinned into the darkness.  She was going to be such a wonderful mother and Ron would be a great dad.  Harry could picture Ron teaching his son or daughter to fly on a broomstick while Hermione shrieked at them to be careful.  Harry chuckled at the image.  

Hopefully he and Draco would have a little one to teach things too as well.  Harry knew Draco was anxious about the whole thing but Harry felt a profound calmness.  He didn't really know why, just that he felt like things would work out in the end.  If only Draco would feel it too.  It was going to be a long nine months if Draco was going to keep up this level of anxiety.

"Drac?" Harry called out.  He was getting lonely and they needed to christen their bed, as they did every year on the first day.

The bathroom door opened and a shaft of light burst into the room.  Harry squinted at the doorway.  His husband was standing there stark naked. 

"What?" Draco asked.

"Come to bed," Harry said seductively.

Draco wavered in the doorway for a moment before turning off the light and jumping on the bed, straddling Harry's hips.  

"Ow! Careful!" Harry grumbled.

"Sorry," Draco said with a smirk.  "Shall I kiss it better?"

"I think you'd better," Harry replied solemnly.  "I think you've seriously injured me.  I mean, my manhood is at stake here so you'd better make sure it's okay."

They both burst out laughing before Draco made sure Little Harry was alright.

He was.

TBC


	21. Good News Week

~Great Hall~

The first week of school passed pretty uneventfully.  

Harry's lessons had run pretty smoothly as the first week always did.  He generally taught theory in the first few weeks after a frightening demonstration on the first day for the first years.  They didn't mess with him after that!  

Draco, on the other hand, had a hectic week juggling his responsibilities as head of Slytherin house and as Potions Master.  The first few weeks were always tough as he got to know the first years and establish his duel roles.  It was difficult trying to be the Tough Professor and the Approachable Head Of House.  

So far Draco had had six homesick students crying, two of whom had managed to work themselves up into such a state that they'd made themselves physically ill.  Therefore he'd been running between the hospital wing, the dungeon and the great hall before falling into bed each night, totally exhausted.  At least it had kept him from thinking and worrying too much.

Tuesday morning had dawned bright and clear as seen in the enchanted ceiling in the great hall.  Draco glanced up at it absentmindedly, noting the bright blueness, as he ate his breakfast.  Hopefully now those two students were back in their dorm he might be able to slow down a bit and concentrate more on his teaching (not to mention marking!).  

"So then I told her to drop the attitude.  I mean, honestly, what does she expect?" Hermione said, gesturing with her fork.  Ron nodded and made the appropriate noises but he obviously wasn't listening.  Draco could see him doodling on a piece of paper.  Draco craned his neck to see what Ron was doing.  He was writing down a list of names.  Some had ticks next to them, some had crosses next to them.  Draco wrinkled his nose in disgust.  There was a tick next to Bernadette.  Surely Ron had better taste than that.  Draco glanced over again.  Nope.  He also had a tick next to Curtis.

The owls flooded into the great hall delivering packages and mail to the students and the teachers.  A tawny owl flew towards the foursome sitting at the far end of the staff table.  It landed elegantly in front of Draco, who untied the note and glanced questioningly at Harry.

"I'm not expecting anything," Harry said, shrugging.  

Draco unfolded the note and scanned it quickly.  Suddenly he screamed and jumped up out of his seat.  He started jumping up and down on the spot, screaming all the while.  "IT WORKED! IT WORKED!"

Hermione glanced over and suddenly joined him, screaming and hugging him as they both jumped up and down.  

Ron and Harry exchanged confused glances.  Hermione had been acting loopy ever since school had begun but this was new behaviour for Draco.  Perhaps the stress of the last week had finally gotten to him.  

Draco suddenly thrust the letter into Harry's hands as the entire school watched the Arithmancy and Potions professors grinning madly at each other.

Harry read the note quickly and passed it to Ron.  He stood up and hugged Draco tightly and Hermione, overcome with emotion, threw her arms around the two of them.  

Ron read the note, dropped it on the table and stood up to join his best friends and his wife.  They all hugged each other jubilantly and started talking a million miles an hour as they wandered out of the hall.  

"We can go shopping for baby things together!" Hermione said.

"Our children can grow up together, they'll be best friends," said Ron.

"Are you going to find out what sex your baby is?" Draco asked Hermione.

"Yes.  That way I can plan and get everything ready before the baby arrives," Hermione said practically.

"I agree," said Draco.  "Then we'll know what clothes to buy.  I can't wait!"

*

The great hall was silent for a full minute before students started chatting again.  Professor Dumbledore was still staring bemused at the door the four former students had left through.  He stood up and walked down the end of the table to pick up the letter that had caused the fuss.  He picked it up and glanced at it.

_Dear Mr and Mr Potter,_

_We are delighted to inform you that the procedure was a complete success.  We will keep you updated as to the progress of your child and will send reports and sonogram pictures as soon as they become available._

_Congratulations,_

_Dr Anderson_

Dumbledore grinned.  This was indeed wonderful news.  Hermione Weasley was pregnant (it had been announced at the starting feast) and now Harry and Draco were going to have a child.  This called for a celebration.  

~Harry and Draco's Rooms~

Draco was lying on his back on the couch in their living room.  He was supposed to be marking Potions homework the students had completed over the summer break but he couldn't be bothered.  Harry was sitting at his desk, dutifully marking homework but Draco was too distracted.

"Do you think we should find out who this woman is so we can make sure she's is alright?" Draco asked.

"Hmm," Harry said absently.  "What's that?"

Draco rolled over onto his stomach.  "Do you think we should find out who this woman is so we can make sure she's is alright?"

"What?  No.  It's anonymous for a reason, sweetheart.  Can you imagine what this woman might do if she knew she was carrying our child?" Harry said as he turned to look at his husband.

Draco sighed.  "I know.  I just hope she's looking after herself."

"I'm sure she is.  The agency checks up on her and I'm sure they are doing all they can for her.  They're certainly charging enough for this service so they'd damn well better be looking after our son or daughter," Harry replied.

Draco yawned.

"Go to bed, Drac.  I'll be there when I've finished the Hufflepuff fifth year essays," Harry said.

Draco was too tired to protest at Harry ordering him around so he merely got up, kissed Harry's forehead and went to bed.

Harry watched in amazement.  God, he _must_ be tired.  I think I'll stay up a bit later, in case a Slytherin comes looking for Draco.  He really needs a good nights sleep so I'll deal with them tonight.

Harry smiled as he thought of his husband's devotion to his students and then returned to marking the deplorable essays the Hufflepuffs had written.  

TBC

A.N. I apologise to anyone who is named Bernadette/Curtis or knows someone called Bernadette/Curtis.  Remember, it is not me who doesn't like the names – it's Draco!  


	22. End Of The First Trimester

~ Potions Classroom ~  
  
"Draco, can I talk to you for a moment?"  
  
Draco glanced up from his desk and saw Hermione's head poking through the door to the dungeon.  
  
"Sure. Are you okay, Mione?" Draco asked, getting up to open the heavy door for her.  
  
"I'm fine. I just.well, you know Ron had to go to the Ministry to help his Dad with that crisis or whatever that was. I'm afraid I wasn't listening at breakfast when he was explaining it to me," Hermione frowned. "Anyway, I have an appointment with Poppy this afternoon. She's going to do the three-month scan on the baby. Would you come with me?"  
  
Draco stared at her in shock for a moment before he recovered his senses. He beamed at her. "Of course I will. Thank you for letting me share this moment with you."  
  
"I thought that, since the surrogate mother of your child is about at the same stage as me, maybe you might like to see what your baby looks like at the moment," Hermione said smiling back at him.  
  
Draco was touched by this. Hermione knew how worried he was about this surrogacy business. He'd been confiding in her ever since they had found out that the procedure had worked two and a half months ago. He didn't want to burden Harry with his worries. Over the past two months, Harry had become increasingly difficult and nothing Draco did seemed to make any difference.  
  
"When is the appointment?" Draco asked.  
  
"After classes finish this afternoon," Hermione replied. "Has Harry said anything about it yet?"  
  
Draco shook his head. Strangely, ever since they had received word about their baby, Harry hadn't mentioned it at all. This was another reason why Draco felt he couldn't talk to his husband about their child. Every time Draco, or anyone else, tried to bring up the subject, Harry would instantly change it. Draco privately thought that this was Harry's way of dealing with the uncertainty of the situation.  
  
The fact was, the woman, this surrogate mother, had all the control here. She could calmly hand over the child at the end of the nine months, or she could take the child and run. Draco hated not being in control of the situation. If only he knew who she was, he could make sure everything was going as it should be. Unfortunately there was no way to find out who she was.  
  
"He'll come around," Hermione said soothingly. Draco remained unconvinced.  
  
"I'll meet you at the hospital wing at four," he said solemnly.  
  
"Sure. See you then," Hermione said. Draco didn't notice her leave as he turned to his lesson plans deep in thought.  
  
~ Hospital Wing ~  
  
When Draco arrived at the hospital wing, Hermione was already lying on a bed. She had taken off her robe, which was draped on one of the other beds. She had pulled up her jumper so her stomach was bare.  
  
"Hi Draco. Poppy will be back in a minute. One of the Hufflepuffs got a Pepper Imp stuck up his nose," Hermione said with a grin.  
  
Draco laughed. "Twit," he said affectionately. He wasn't really insulting the student but really, some of them were pretty thick. Especially the Hufflepuffs.  
  
"So what's going on here?" Draco asked, waving his hand over Hermione's stomach.  
  
"Poppy has a special camera that can take a photo of the baby through skin and muscle. It's clearer if there aren't any clothes in the way," Hermione explained. It was obvious that she was excited.  
  
"Do you mind?" Draco asked, his hand hovering over her stomach.  
  
"Of course not," Hermione replied softly.  
  
Draco smiled poignantly as he lowered his hand. He stayed very still. He was a bit disappointed when he didn't feel anything.  
  
"It's a bit early to feel any movement," Hermione said. "But I'll let you know when she starts moving. Then you can feel her any time you like."  
  
"She?" Draco said curiously.  
  
"Just a hunch," Hermione replied cagily.  
  
"Will Poppy be able to tell the sex of the baby?" Draco asked.  
  
"She certainly will," Poppy said as she entered the room.  
  
Draco removed his hand and sat down on a chair next to Hermione. She held out her hand and Draco took it in his. He was glad to be able to offer her support in return for the support she had shown him over the last few months.  
  
"Now Hermione, I'll just have to rub this potion on your tummy," Poppy said as she poured some of it on her hand and started rubbing it on. "It causes the skin and muscles to become invisible for the camera so we can see your baby clearly."  
  
Poppy finished smoothing on the potion and wiped her hand. She reached for the camera on the bedside table and raised it to her eyes. She peered through the lens and smiled.  
  
"I'll take a few photos so you can send one to the Ron's parents and one to your parents, Hermione," Poppy said.  
  
"Take one for Draco too," Hermione said pleadingly.  
  
Draco dragged his gaze from Hermione's stomach up to her eyes.  
  
"I want you to have one. Who knows if you'll get one of your child or not. This way you'll have a photo of a baby," Hermione said kindly.  
  
Draco was struck by Hermione's thoughtfulness. "Thank you, Mione."  
  
Poppy finished taking pictures and lowered the camera. "I'll just go and develop these."  
  
Neither of them noticed her leave.  
  
"Draco, do you want me to talk to Harry about this?" Hermione asked quietly.  
  
Draco pondered the suggestion. "I've certainly had no luck getting through to him."  
  
"Okay. I'll let you know what I find out," Hermione squeezed his hand. "He loves you Draco, even if he hasn't told you lately."  
  
Draco's eyes filled with tears. "I know."  
  
"Oh, don't you start," Hermione threatened him, her eyes filling with sympathetic tears. "You'll get me going too."  
  
"Here we are, dears," Poppy said, waltzing into the room, waving a photo in her hand. She handed it to Hermione who stared at it in wonder. "I'll go and do the rest now. I just thought you'd like to see one as soon as possible. Draco, would you be able to clean the potion off Hermione's stomach? Here's some paper towel."  
  
Draco took the paper towel and tore a few sections from the roll. He gently wiped the gooey potion off her skin.  
  
"Wait!" Hermione exclaimed. "She didn't tell us whether she's a boy or girl."  
  
"I'll go ask her," Draco said quickly. "I'll be right back."  
  
Draco left the room and found Poppy at her desk developing photographs.  
  
"Poppy?"  
  
The nurse glanced up at him.  
  
"Hermione was wondering if she is having a boy or a girl," Draco said.  
  
Poppy beamed up at him. "You can tell the proud mother-to-be that she is going to have a beautiful little girl."  
  
Draco grinned. Hermione would have a beautiful little girl with red pigtails and intelligent eyes.  
  
"Thanks Poppy," Draco said before returning to Hermione's side.  
  
"Well?" Hermione asked eagerly.  
  
"It's a girl!" Draco exclaimed. They both screamed delightedly and hugged. When Draco pulled away, they both had tears of joy sliding down their faces.  
  
"She's a miracle," Draco said softly, his hand back on Hermione's stomach which was now covered by her jumper (an extra, extra large one knitted especially for her by Mrs Weasley).  
  
Hermione's hand covered Draco's. "Yes," she agreed simply.  
  
TBC 


	23. Complicated

~ Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom ~

Hermione stood in the doorway and simply watched Harry for a while.  He was sitting at his desk, which was covered with his student's homework, but he was staring into space.  

"Harry?"

Harry jumped in his seat and turned to stare at her, his hand on his heart.  "God, Hermione!  You scared me to death."

"I would hope not," Hermione said, smiling slightly as she entered the room.  She sat down in the front row.  "Draco needs you."

Hermione was shocked to see Harry's expression harden at the mere mention of his husband's name.  "What's going on with you, Harry?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Harry said coldly as he pulled an essay towards him and pretended to read it.  

Hermione wasn't fooled by this and stared at him, hoping the silence would unnerve him and force him to fill it.

Ten minutes and three essays later, Hermione was beginning to run out of patience.  She stood up and stepped up to Harry's desk.  She pulled a picture out of her pocket and placed it directly in front of him on his desk.

"This is for you," she said softly.  "It's a girl."

Hermione returned to her seat and sat and stared at Harry, watching closely for the slightest reaction.  She had grown very close to Draco over the years and she hated to see him so upset.  Sometimes it seemed to her that he was going through what was known as a sympathetic pregnancy.  Usually it was the pregnant woman's partner who shared the symptoms.  But Hermione believed that because Draco couldn't be near the woman carrying his child, that he was experiencing it vicariously through her.  She didn't mind.  She was glad to be able to share it with him.  Especially since Ron, although excited, was unable to understand what she was going through.

She had been so proud of the way Draco had embraced parenthood.  He may have been apprehensive but once he had committed to it, he had thrown himself into the experience.  They often chatted about names and decorating ideas and the like.  

Harry was staring down at the picture.  Hermione saw a flicker of emotion before his mask was firmly back in place.  The flicker was too quick for her to determine what it was, but at least he had felt something other than the cool façade he was projecting out onto the world.  

"He loves you so much, Harry," Hermione said gently.  "Don't push him away."

Harry looked up at her sharply.  "I'm not pushing him away," he denied strongly.

"It certainly seems that way," she countered.

Harry shook his head and spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness.  "You know how much I love him, Mione.  That hasn't changed."

"Then what has changed?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know.  Me?" Harry offered.

"Harry, I know this is a difficult experience for the two of you, but you know that Ron and I will always be here for you, don't you?"

"I know.  Thank you," Harry smiled at her gratefully.

Hermione raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Harry sighed.  "I really don't know what you want me to tell you."

"The truth, Harry.  Just tell me what you are feeling."

"When I find out, I'll let you know," Harry said.

Hermione grimaced.

"I'm sorry," Harry said defensively.  "I know I've been acting a bit strangely lately but I honestly don't know why."

"You are going to be the death of me, Harry James Potter," Hermione said with a grin as she stood up.  She kissed him on the forehead.  "I'd better go find Ron.  He hasn't seen that picture yet.  Remember, come and find me anytime day or night if you want to talk."

"I will," Harry promised.

~ Harry and Draco's Room ~

Draco was curled up in bed, almost asleep when he felt strong arms encircle him.  He snuggled back into Harry's embrace and sighed happily.

"I do love you, Drac," Harry whispered in his ear.

Draco bit back the tears as he turned in Harry's arms.  He wound his arms around Harry's neck and buried his fingers in Harry's hair.  "I've missed you."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, sounding bemused.  "I've been here every night."

"In body perhaps," Draco allowed.  "But not in spirit."

"I'm sorry, my dragon."

Draco smiled at the pet name.  "I love you too, you know."

Harry smiled back at him and leaned down to kiss him.  

Draco couldn't help himself.  As his lips latched onto Harry's, he pressed his naked body up against Harry's almost desperately.  They hadn't made love in at least a month and that had to be some sort of record for them.  

"I need you inside me," Draco muttered against Harry's lips before kissing him again.  

Harry rolled them over so he was lying on top of Draco.  His hands moved frantically over Draco's body.  The blonde moaned.  He'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have Harry want him.  

"Please Harry," Draco begged, his hands on Harry's arse, trying to grind his hips against Harry's.  He moaned again as Harry's mouth moved to lick his jaw and place wet kisses down his neck.  He sucked and nibbled on Draco's collarbone, marking the pale skin.  

Harry wrapped his hand around Draco's erection and stroked it firmly.

"Oh, god Harry," Draco groaned, his voice thick with desire.  "Fuck me, fuck me NOW."

Draco reached over for the tube of lube on the bedside table.  He pushed it into Harry's free hand.

Harry hurriedly squeezed some lube onto his finger and rubbed it around Draco's arse.  Draco pushed down on Harry's finger.  He moaned as Harry's finger entered him.  Harry thrust his finger in and out of Draco's arse.  The blonde started lifting his hips in time to Harry's movements.  

Draco whimpered as Harry removed his hand and squeezed more lube onto his cock.  He thrust into Draco in one smooth stroke.  

Draco cried out in ecstasy.  It felt oh so good.  They rocked against each other frantically.  Harry's hand was still stroking Draco's erection and the blonde man knew it wouldn't be long before he came.  

"Oh god, Harry.  HARRY!" Draco screamed his husband's name as he climaxed.  

Harry thrust into him a few more times before Draco felt him come inside him.  Harry collapsed on top of him for a moment.  Draco could feel Harry's heart beating wildly as Harry panted against his shoulder.  

After a few minutes, Harry rolled off him and lay on his back beside his husband.  He linked his hands together behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.  

Draco rolled onto his side and curled around Harry, sighing contentedly.  He wrapped his arm around Harry's chest.  Draco pressed his lips against Harry's side.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Draco said, closing his eyes.  He snuggled closer to Harry and drifted off to sleep.

TBC

A.N. Sorry it's taken me so long to update any of my fics.  I've had writers block for the last few weeks and haven't been able to write anything decent to save my life.  It's been driving me insane but I'm hoping that the chapters I have written for this story signal the end of the block.  Cross your fingers!  


	24. About A Boy

~ Potions Classroom ~

Draco was supervising the fifth year Hufflepuff/Gryffindor class as they concocted their Jubilation Jelly.  There was a knock at the door and Draco turned to see the Head Boy standing on the threshold.

"An owl arrived for you, Professor Potter," Thomas said, holding out an envelope.

"Thank you, Thomas," Draco said, walking over to take the letter from him.  The Head Boy nodded and left.  Draco recognised the seal on the envelope as being that of the Medi-clinic that would deliver their baby.  Draco's heart leapt into his throat but he didn't know whether to be excited or worried.

Unfortunately he couldn't worry about that right now.  He slipped the envelope into his pocket and returned to his students.  He would read the letter after the class had left.

An hour later, the students were filing out of the room and Draco sank down into his chair behind his desk.  He pulled the envelope out of his pocket and stared at it.  Was it good news or bad?  Or perhaps no news at all.  

"There's only one way to find out."

Draco jumped before he recognised the voice as Hermione's.

"Do you make it a habit of sneaking up on people?" Draco wondered.

"Yes," Hermione giggled as she sat down in the chair next to his desk.  "What's that?"

"Letter from the clinic," Draco said.

"Open it, then," she commanded.

"I can't," Draco said plaintively.  "You do it."

He passed her the letter and closed his eyes so he didn't have to watch her open it.  It was exquisite torture as he listened to her ripping the envelope open.

Hermione squealed.  "You're having a boy.  You're going to have a son."

Draco's eyes snapped open and he stared at her in disbelief.  "I'm going to have a son?"

Hermione nodded.  "Yes.  Here's a picture of him."

She handed him the photo of the baby, it looked just like the one she had of her daughter.  To Draco, it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.  

"Oh, look at him," he said softly, his finger gently tracing the outline of the tiny baby.  

His son.  It suddenly seemed so much more real now that he had a picture.  I'm going to be a father, Draco thought in amazement.  This is my child.  Draco felt his heart swell with love unlike anything he had ever felt before.  

"I can't wait to hold him," Draco whispered, a single tear sliding down his cheek.  

Hermione whimpered and reached out to hold his hand.  "You are going to be a wonderful father, Draco."

"I should show this to Harry," Draco said, holding up the picture.  

"He's out on the Quidditch pitch with Ron," Hermione said, standing up.  "I'll come with you."

~ Quidditch Pitch ~

Ron flew as fast as he could, darting around the pitch, trying to confuse Harry.  It wasn't hard to do.  Harry was playing keeper, a position he really wasn't cut out for and Ron knew it.  Ron made a sudden turn at the last minute and lobbed the Quaffle at the top hoop.  The ball sailed through to score a goal.  

Ron cheered himself and heard other voices join in the cheering.  He looked over at the stands and smiled as he saw his wife and Draco sitting in the stands beaming up at him.  He flew over and landed on a bench.  He jumped down and pressed a kiss to his wife's forehead.  

"Hi love, are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, Ron.  Don't fuss so much," Hermione said.  She always protested when he fussed over her but he knew she loved it.

Harry landed beside Ron.  Draco stared up at him expectantly but Harry stayed where he was, watching Ron and Hermione.  

"I got a letter from the Medi-clinic," Draco said softly, almost sadly it seemed to Ron.

Ron sat down behind Hermione and pulled his wife back into his arms as he watched his best friend and Draco warily.  He just couldn't for the life of him figure out what was going on in Harry's head lately.

"Oh?" Harry said flatly.

"Yeah…um…they sent a picture, like the one Mione gave us.  We're going to have a little boy," Draco said proudly.  Ron smiled as he pictured Draco with his son.  He would be such a devoted father.

Draco held out the picture and after a few tense moments, Harry reached out and took it.  He glanced down at it and froze.  Ron watched as Harry touched the photo with his fingertips.  Ron knew that Harry couldn't help but be moved by what he saw.  There was something undeniably special about seeing your own child for the first time.  

A slow smile crept across Harry's face.  Draco's face lit up as he saw Harry's reaction to their son.  

"Our son," Harry said hoarsely.  

Draco nodded tearfully.  Harry held out his arms and Draco stepped into them, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist.  Draco's eyes closed and an expression of contentment spread across his face.  Harry's arms closed around him and Ron saw Harry staring at the photo again as he held his husband tightly.

Ron felt Hermione relax against him and sigh happily.  

"I think they'll be okay now," Ron whispered in her ear.  

"I think so too," Hermione agreed softly, both hoping desperately that they were right.

TBC__


	25. Hanging By A Moment

~ The Great Hall ~

A few days after Christmas, Draco and Hermione went to London to shop for baby things.  They arrived back at the Great Hall laden with packages.  

"Mione!  What do you think you're doing?" Ron sounded outraged as he jumped up from his seat at the table used for meals during the holidays when there weren't many students staying at the castle.  Only Harry, Ron and Sirius were still in the Great Hall.  Ron hurried over to Hermione and pulled her bags out of her hands.  He dumped them on the nearest table (Ravenclaw) and guided her to the seat at that table.

Draco smiled as he watched Ron help his wife sit down and rest.  He glanced over at Harry and Sirius.  Harry looked angry as Sirius appeared to be arguing with him.  Draco couldn't hear what they were saying.  He joined Ron and Hermione at the Ravenclaw table and put his packages on the table beside Mione's.  

"So what did you buy?" Ron asked, grinning at his wife.  Hermione glowed as she started showing Ron what she had gotten for their daughter.

"Isn't this gorgeous?" she said, holding up a pale blue dress.  

"It's so small," Ron exclaimed, reaching out to touch the dress.

Draco was surprised when Harry suddenly sat down beside him.  He had thought that Harry was still arguing with Sirius.  Harry's hand curved around the back of Draco's head and he kissed Draco's temple.  Draco's mouth opened slightly in shock and he and Hermione stared at each other, both of them wondering what this new behaviour from Harry meant.  

"What have you bought, sweetheart?" Harry asked him.  Draco was surprised that Harry was interested in this.  He was still ignoring anything to do with the baby, even after seeing the picture of their son.

"Er…" Draco searched through his packages for something.  He finally found what he was looking for and pulled out a tiny pair of Nike shoes.  He handed them to Harry.  "I thought our boy would look great in these."

Harry took the shoes and stared down at them silently.  Draco glanced over at the others.  Sirius was sitting beside Ron, who was looking through the rest of his wife's packages while Hermione watched Harry.  

Draco sighed.  It was hard to believe that he had been married to Harry for six years.  At times like this, Draco felt like he hardly knew his husband.  Harry had been blowing hot and cold for about five months now and Draco didn't know how much longer he could deal with this.  Suddenly he was struck by an idea of how to help Harry but he didn't want to talk about it with the others around.  

"Very cute," Harry finally commented.  He set the shoes down on the table and reached for another package.  Draco reached out and placed his hand on Harry's, stopping him from opening the package.

"How about we unpack all this stuff back in our room?" Draco suggested.

Harry nodded and they gathered up the packages.  

"See you tomorrow, guys," Draco said, smiling at them.  Harry said goodnight and they left the Great Hall.

~ Harry and Draco's Room ~

"Honey?" Draco said hesitantly. 

"Mmm," Harry said noncommittally.  He was pulling baby clothes out of bags and cutting the tags off them.  

"Stop that for a moment," Draco said, sitting beside Harry on the couch.  He pulled the clothes and the scissors from Harry's hands and placed them on the coffee table.  He took Harry's hands in his own and stared deeply into Harry's eyes.  

"I know you've been going through something over the past few months," Draco said earnestly.  "And I've tried to help you but I've come to accept that I can't.  So I'm going to give you the same advice you gave me about a year ago.  If you can't talk about what ever is bothering you, then try writing it down."

Harry's green eyes glistened with unshed tears and he nodded.  Draco let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.  He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on Harry's lips.

"I'm going to go to bed now," he said, hoping Harry would take this time alone to write down some of his thoughts.  

Draco entered the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him.  He undressed and decided to take a shower.  Soothing water cascaded down over his body, the drops of water mingling with his tears as he cried out his frustration and loneliness.  He leaned back against the wall of the shower and slid down it to sit on the floor.  Water rained down on him but he didn't notice.  

It seemed like for every one step they would take forward, they would be pushed two steps back.  Not knowing what was wrong was the hardest thing to take.  Harry kept his own counsel these days.  He wasn't even confiding in Ron.  

Draco wished things could go back to the way they were before school had started.  Things had been fine between them over the summer holidays.  The problems had only started when they'd returned to Hogwarts.  Perhaps it was the stress of teaching that was getting to Harry.  Draco had been fairly busy with his dual role as Head of Slytherin and Potions Master.  Maybe if he hadn't been so busy, he would have noticed what was going on with Harry and the problems wouldn't have escalated as they had.  

The water in the shower grew cooler and Draco dragged himself up and turned off the taps.  He dried himself roughly and returned to the bedroom.  He turned out the lights and crawled into bed.  

Hours later, Draco awoke feeling thirsty.  He filled a glass of water in the bathroom and drank deeply.  When he entered the bedroom he realised that Harry wasn't in bed yet, although it was almost three o'clock in the morning.  He tiptoed over to the door and as quietly as possible opened it a crack.  He peered out and saw Harry sitting in front of a blank piece of parchment, staring into space.  

Draco closed the door and sighed.  Harry hadn't written a thing.  

TBC

A.N. Sorry it's so angsty at the moment.  I'm feeling a bit low myself at the moment.  My writing is directly influenced by my moods, so when I start feeling happier, hopefully the story will be happier.  Only a few more chapters to go before this story is finished.  But it is the second part of a trilogy, so there is more to come after this part is finished.


	26. Isabella or Ruth?

~ Harry and Draco's Room ~

"Drac! Honey, wake up!"

Draco opened his eyes sleepily and instantly snapped them shut again.  He moaned and snuggled down into the blankets, trying to block out the light.

"Draco, you have to wake up!"

"It's too early," Draco protested.

"Hermione's having the baby."

Draco's eyes opened wide and he stared up at his husband in amazement for a moment before he leapt out of bed.  

"Oh my god!  Is she in the hospital wing?" Draco asked as he dragged on a pair of black jeans and a white shirt.  

"Yes," Harry replied as he watched Draco dress.  

Draco glanced over at him and was surprised to note that Harry was still wearing the same clothes he had been wearing yesterday.  Obviously he hadn't come to bed.  Draco thrust his feet into his boots and glanced at his watch.  It was 2:34am.

"Come on, let's go," he said, running out of the room.  

~ Hospital Wing ~

Draco was sitting in the waiting room listening to Hermione scream in the next room.  

"Aahhhh! Get her out of me!"

Draco winced.  He was glad that he was a male and therefore unable to have children.  It sounded extremely painful.  

He glanced up as the door to the rest of the castle opened.  Harry entered with two mugs in his hands.  Draco smiled at him gratefully as he took one of the mugs and sipped his coffee.  Harry sat down beside him on the couch.

"Ron, you bastard, you are never touching me again!"

Harry chuckled.  "I'm glad I'm not Ron, although I wouldn't mind being in there to see his reaction to that."

Draco agreed.  Ron was most likely panicking in there.  Hermione had been in labour for eleven hours now and had been screaming at him for the past five hours.  Ron had always been the one to panic when under stress.  

"I wonder if our son has been born yet," Draco said wistfully.  He placed his mug on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch.  

Harry reached over and pulled him into his arms.  Draco rested his head on Harry's shoulder and snuggled closer to his husband.  

"I doubt he's been born yet.  He's not due until next week," Harry said quietly. 

Draco was silent for a moment, considering his words carefully.  

"Do you regret having this child with me?" Draco asked in a small voice.

"Oh sweetheart, of course not," Harry said, kissing the top of Draco's head.  

Draco sat up and straddled Harry's legs.  He gazed fervently into Harry's eyes, his hands cupping Harry's cheeks.  "Then tell me what's going on.  It it's not the baby, then what's wrong?"

"I can't explain it.  It's like…like there's something dragging me down.  Like a weight on my chest making me feel terribly sad.  I don't know why but that's the way I feel," Harry explained.  His hands were resting on Draco's hips.  "I feel like I'm being swallowed by darkness, but it's a darkness that exists inside of me."

Draco blinked.  This was not what he was expecting and he was shocked that Harry had finally opened up to him.  Unfortunately Harry's timing was terrible.

Ron entered the waiting room.

"She's here," he said proudly.  "She's just beautiful."

Draco stared intently at his husband for a second before standing up and turning to face Ron.  "Can we see her?"

"Sure, come on in," Ron said, ushering them into Hermione's private room.

Hermione smiled tiredly at them, a bundle of blankets in her arms.  Draco walked over to her and peered down into the blankets.  A tiny face was just visible.  

"She's gorgeous," Draco said softly as he perched on the edge of Hermione's bed.  

"Would you like to hold her?" Hermione asked.  Draco nodded and reached out to take the little girl out of her arms.

Draco held the baby against his chest, breathing in her new baby smell.  He gently traced a finger over her face.  

"How are you feeling, Mione?" Harry asked, sitting on the chair on the other side of Hermione's bed.

"Exhausted.  Sore.  Not eager to do that again for a while," Hermione said, grimacing.  

"I thought we were going to have a large family, like mine," Ron said seriously.

"You want a large family, then you have the babies," Hermione retorted.  "I'm sure I can find a potion or a spell that will allow you to get pregnant."

Ron looked horrified.  "No! No, that's okay.  We'll have as many children as you want."

Draco was intrigued by the mention of a potion or spell that would allow a man to carry a child but he didn't comment on it.  

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Draco asked with a grin.  "I know you've been arguing about it for the past week but have you finally agreed on something?"

Hermione glared at Ron, who looked annoyed.

"I want to name her Isabella but Ron wants to call her Ruth," Hermione said.

"I'm sorry Ron, but she's definitely an Isabella," Draco said, glancing apologetically at the redheaded man.  "She's too beautiful to be named Ruth."

"Isabella Weasley," Harry said thoughtfully.  "Ruth Weasley."

They all contemplated the names for a moment.  Ron took his daughter from Draco's arms and held her.  Draco watched as he mouthed the two names while staring down at her.

"Drac," Harry called softly.  Draco glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow curiously.  Harry gestured for him to come over to his side of Hermione's bed.  Draco walked around the bed and was startled to be pulled down onto Harry's lap.  The dark-haired man's arms snaked around his waist, holding him close.  

"You're right.  She is Isabella," Ron said finally.  Hermione smiled up at him gratefully.  

"Am I interrupting?" a voice from the door enquired.  

"No, not at all Sirius, come in," Hermione said.

Sirius entered the room, followed by Albus.

Ron beamed at them both.  "I'd like to introduce you to our daughter, Isabella Weasley."

"Congratulations," Albus said, his eyes twinkling as he grinned at them all.

"She's adorable," Sirius said as he gazed down at the little girl.

TBC

A.N. Only two more chapters to go….stay tuned!


	27. A Child Is Born

~ The Great Hall ~

Draco sighed melodramatically as he played with his eggs.  "It's been two weeks since Isabella was born.  Why hasn't our son been born yet?"

"Sometimes babies are late," Hermione said soothingly as she burped her daughter.  

Ron beamed proudly as she burped loudly.  "That's my girl!"

Harry laughed at Ron before turning to his husband.  "He'll come when he's ready.  Have faith.  The doctors at the clinic know what they are doing."

Draco smiled at him and reached out to slip his hand into Harry's.  Over the past two weeks they had talked often and were repairing their relationship, which had suffered over the past few months.  Harry still couldn't talk about what was bothering him, but Draco was confident that he would soon.  

Harry had taken up Draco's suggestion and had written down what he'd been feeling.  He hadn't yet shown Draco yet, but Draco understood this as he himself had been hesitant to show anyone his journal before he was ready.  He was confident that one day Harry would share it with him.  

A lot of flapping was heard as the owls made their morning deliveries.  Draco's eyes scanned the owls hopefully and was excited as he saw the clinic's owl fly towards them.  His grip on Harry's hand tightened as the owl landed gracefully in front of them.  He let go of Harry's hand and opened the letter.

"She's in labour.  The woman having our child is in labour.  Oh my god," Draco said anxiously.  "We have to go there."

"Go," Albus said, smiling down the table at them.  "I'll let the students know your classes are cancelled for today."

"Thank you, Albus," Harry said as he and Draco ran out of the room.

~ The Clinic ~

The clinic was very similar to Hogwarts hospital wing, but on a much larger scale.  Harry and Draco weren't the only ones in the waiting room.  There were two other couples, all male, anxiously waiting for the birth of their children.

Draco and Harry were sitting side by side.  They'd been there for four hours now and they'd been told that the woman had been in labour for nine hours before they'd arrived.  Draco hoped it wouldn't be much longer.  

"What are we going to call him?" Draco asked, turning to glance curiously at his husband.  Draco had discussed names with Hermione, but there had never been a good moment to talk about it with Harry.

"I think Sirius is expecting me to name him James, but I don't want to," Harry confessed, looking like he expected to get in trouble for this.

"It's none of Sirius' business, not really," Draco said gently.  "We can name him anything we want."

"I just don't want a daily reminder of my father," Harry explained.  "I get enough of that from Sirius himself.  I'm trying to put my tragic past behind me, not relive it constantly."

"It's okay," Draco said, "What names do you like?"

"I haven't really thought about it," Harry said apologetically.

"What do you think of Daniel?" Draco suggested.  

"Daniel Potter," Harry mused.  "I quite like that."

"But let's wait until we see him.  He might not look like a Daniel," Draco said.

"Mr Potter?" a nurse standing in the doorway asked.

Harry and Draco stood up.  "Yes?" Draco said.

"Your son has been born.  Come this way please," she said as she turned to walk down the corridor.

Both men followed her quickly.  She led them to a room with two armchairs and a cradle.

"I'll leave you three alone," she said and discretely left, closing the door behind her.

Draco crept over to the cradle.  He caught his breath as he gazed down at his son.  _His_ son.  He reached down to gently pick up the child.  He held him close and his eyes filled with tears.  

"My boy," he whispered as he counted the baby's fingers.  All present and correct.  Draco pressed his lips gently to his son's forehead and was rewarded with his son opening his eyes and gazing solemnly up at him.  

Draco stared down into his son's silvery grey eyes.  He has my eyes, Draco thought in amazement.  He softly touched his fingers to the child's head, noting the fine dark hair beginning to grow.  Harry's hair.  

Suddenly the baby started to wail.  His little face was screwed up and fat tears were seeping out from under his eyelids.

"Shhh," Draco said, rocking the baby gently in his arms.  He glanced over at Harry in desperation.  

"He's probably hungry," Harry said, shrugging.  

Draco glanced around the room and saw a sink with cupboard underneath it and a small fridge next to it.

"Here, you hold him for a moment," Draco said, pushing the child into Harry's arms.

Draco turned his back on Harry as he investigated the fridge and the cupboard.  Just as he had suspected, the fridge held cold bottles of milk for the baby.  He pulled one of them out and cast a spell to heat it.  He dribbled a few drops on his wrist to make sure it wouldn't burn his son's throat.  When he was satisfied, he turned around.  

Harry had sat down on one of the chairs and he was gazing down at their son with an expression of wonder on his face.  Even the child screaming didn't seem to dispel Harry's awe.  

Draco handed him the bottle and watched his husband feed their child.  The boy sucked greedily on the bottle.  Draco reached over and gently stroked the baby's cheek.  His tiny silvery eyes followed Draco's every move, even as he drank from the bottle.

"Daniel Potter," Draco said softly.

"Daniel Potter," Harry agreed.

TBC

A.N.  The boy is not named after Daniel Radcliffe.  I just like the name Daniel and it seemed to suit the child.  But if you want to think of it as a tribute to Dan then go ahead.  

Oh and Xixie, the chapter titled About A Boy is a reference to the Hugh Grant movie.


	28. The Beginning Or The End?

~ The Great Hall ~

"When do you think they'll get here?" Ron asked anxiously.

"They left at breakfast, and it's now after dinner, so I'd say they'll be here soon," Hermione replied as she glanced over at Isabella who was currently being held by Albus and entertained by Minerva.  It was amusing to watch the two older professors cooing over the little girl.

Remus Lupin had arrived around lunchtime and would be staying for a week or two.  He had come as soon as possible after Sirius had owled him.  The two remaining marauders were currently making a list of pranks to teach James' grandson.  

Hermione stopped pacing for a moment and listened carefully.  She noticed Ron staring at her questioningly but she ignored him.  They were here!

*

Harry pushed the doors to the Great Hall open.  Draco stepped in, the baby in his arms, and glanced around at the group waiting for them.  

"Is that him?" Ron asked as he hurried over to the family.

"No," Draco drawled, rolling his eyes.  "This one's a loaner."

"Shut up, Draco," Harry said, playfully.  "Yes, this is him.  This is Daniel."

"Daniel?" Remus asked, arching an eyebrow at Sirius. 

"It was my idea," Draco said quickly as he noticed the look that passed between them.  

"Daniel Potter.  A fine name," Albus said, smiling warmly at them.  

"Can I hold him?" Hermione asked Draco.

He nodded and passed her the baby.

"He's perfect," she declared.  Daniel opened his eyes and peered up at the stranger who was holding him.  "Oh look, he's got your eyes, Draco."

"And Harry's hair, poor kid," Ron said with a laugh.  

"Hey, at least my child isn't bald!" Harry retorted, grinning wickedly at Ron.  

"Her hair will grow soon," Ron replied heatedly.

"Alright, alright boys.  It's not a competition," Sirius said, standing between the two of them.  

"You're right, Sirius.  I'm sorry Ron," Harry said, holding out his hand.  

Ron shook his hand.  "I'm sorry too, Harry."

"Now that we are all here, I have something to show you all," Albus said, his eyes twinkling.  "Follow me."

Hermione handed Daniel back to Draco and took Isabella from Albus and they all followed the headmaster out of the Great Hall and down the corridor.  After a few minutes, he stopped in front of a door.

"This is a room I have had specially designed over the past few months," he said.  "As our staff has gotten younger over the past few years, I thought it might be prudent to provide childcare for their children so they can continue teaching.  This room is equipped for caring for babies until they are six years old and then they will move next door which will be a classroom for primary school age children, until they are old enough to attend Hogwarts at eleven."

"Wow," Draco said.

"Who will look after the babies while they are here?" Hermione asked.  

"See for yourself," Albus said, opening the door.

They all crowded into the room.

"Surprise!" cried Ginny and Lavender.

"Ginny?" Ron said, hugging her.  "You're going to be working at Hogwarts now?  What about Dean?"

"He will be teaching Muggle Studies," she explained.

"I didn't know the Muggle Studies professor had left," Hermione said.  

"His contract expires at the end of this year and he has chosen not to renew it," Albus said, shrugging.  "It was his decision.  I think he's been offered a job in an Australian school."

"The two girls will share the job.  It is too much for one person," Albus explained.

Draco gazed around the room.  It had an inviting atmosphere.  The room had been decorated in the style of a muggle nursery.  There were a number of cribs lining one wall. 

"Are you expecting an influx of babies, Albus?" Draco asked, pointing at the cribs.

"I have a feeling we'll be needing them over the years," Albus replied with a grin.

"But we only need two now," Harry said.

"Actually soon we'll be needing three," Ginny said with a secretive smile.

"You're pregnant?" Ron asked.  "My little sister is pregnant?"

Ginny nodded and Ron enveloped her in a hug.  

"Wow, I bet Dean was excited," he said.  "When are you due?"

"In about seven months," she replied, glowing with happiness.  "Dean was over the moon.  He's so cute, he talks to my stomach."

"Congratulations," Hermione said, hugging her sister-in-law.

Draco lay Daniel down in the nearest crib and hugged Ginny too.  "I'm so glad it's going to be you looking after my son while I'm teaching."

"Thank you, Draco.  That means a lot to me," Ginny replied.

Draco hugged Lavender then.  She'd been pretty much ignored since she wasn't related to anyone in the room.  "I'm glad you're here too, Lavender."

She smiled at him gratefully as they parted.  "Thanks.  I promise I'll take good care of your son.  I've grown up a lot since we finished school and I'm no longer the ditzy blonde you probably remember me being."

"Are you married?" he asked her suddenly.

"No, I'm single," she replied, looking confused by the sudden interest in her personal life.  "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Draco replied.  He glanced at his husband, expecting to see him looking knowingly at him.  

But Harry wasn't paying attention to anyone around him.  He was leaning on the rail of the crib Daniel was sleeping in.  He was staring down at their son with a strange expression on his face.  If Draco didn't know better, he would swear that Harry was staring _sadly_ down at their son.  But that couldn't be.  This was a happy time.  There was no reason to be sad.  

Draco returned his attention to the rest of the group.  Ginny was holding her niece for the first time.  Draco smiled as she introduced herself to Isabella.

"I'm your Auntie Ginny," she said softly, as Isabella grabbed her finger and held tight.

Draco sighed happily.  This was what it was all about.  He had his husband and his son and he couldn't be happier.  After years of one problem after another, life was finally perfect.

The End

A.N.  Well, it had to end sometime.  But stay tuned.  Chapter One of the sequel Lost And Found will be posted immediately so you should be able to find it now!!  Go!  Go find it and review!  Only don't flame me, I warn you right now, it has a shocking beginning.  *grins wickedly*  


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